Why are Elements in the Lalong Administration Unsettled about the Dedication of the 10 Commandments Monument and Prayer Altar?

The city of Jos, the Plateau State capital came alive on Friday, 10th December 2021 owing to the dedication of a prayer altar and the 10 Commandments Monument in the early hours and a concert that hosted popular Nigerian Gospels artists in the evening of the same day.
Once again, Christians on the Plateau had a reason to take a recess from the hardship, unending fear, and agony that have become the order of the day. It is the opinion of many that it has been a while since anything worthy of note, that evokes emotions of joy has happened in Jos.
Although the dedication of the prayer altar was in obedience to the instruction of God to Senator Jang, it would seem that many are again not happy that an event of that magnitude was held.
While Senator Jang is appalled by the political coloration given to a private event with very strong spiritual implications by both the PDP and APC in the state, he is praying that God overlooks the shortcomings of those who delved into what was not their concern. That the Honourable Commissioner of Lands, Survey, and Town Planning, Yakubu Datti further escalated the matter with an intervention that was yet again targeted at diminishing the success of the dedication event and casting Senator Jonah David Jang in a bad light.

The dedication of the 10 Commandments monument and prayer altar is an instruction Senator Jang and no other received yet, people have assumed the place of God to even speaking in categorical terms of how Christians on the plateau did not lack a place of prayer. It is unfortunate that while it would have been necessary to take these people seriously, we are dismayed that it is people with questionable moral characters, who would not understand spiritual issues that have the loudest voices hurling vituperations at what they know nothing of.
We can forgive the ignorance of the commissioner because we are aware of his very low spiritual background with no capacity to understand things of the spirit. What is most important is to note that Plateau belongs to every plateau man and

we must be careful not to invoke the wrath of God in our personal pursuits for popularity. Let us not do things that will anger God.
To cast aspersions on the person of Senator Jang has become the stock-in-trade of favor-seeking appointees of the Governor. Unfortunately, if the Plateau State Government had any issues with the dedication of the monument, Yakubu Datti should have known that he should be more concerned with collecting tenement rates and dealing with issues of the distortion of the plan of the city as Commissioner of Lands. In any case, he would have been managing the image of the Governor had he known how to do that, else he wouldn’t have been redeployed from the Ministry of which fits both his educational training and practice.
The Plateau State Governor was adequately informed of the programme and he not only sent a representative who had the opportunity to address the gathering but also respectfully did other things to give the visiting former president, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, a state welcome. If anything, the representative of the Governor and Hon. Commissioner of Agriculture will have briefed the Governor and the position of the State Government will not be the statement by an overzealous appointee, seeking relevance.

To insinuate that the former governor attempted to use religion to cover for the failings of his administration is to publicly display one’s ignorance as the footprints of the Jang administration are visible across the state and will remain talking points for political analysts in the state for a long time coming. If anyone should talk about any administration failing, they should not refer to the Jang administration.
The Lalong administration should rather concentrate on redeeming time and caution his appointees not to drag the image of government into the mud because the clock is ticking and the administration is fast winding down.. The appointees have become swan birds singing of an EFCC case that is dead on arrival, boasting of witnesses and testimonies which always fall like a pack of cards in the face of the facts.

The fact remains that Yakubu Dati is the least qualified to talk about the dedication of the 10 commandments monument. Painting a picture that Senator Jang was using religion to play on the people’s emotions only shows his incompetence in deciphering what the whole event was about. Former Governor Jang does not need to play with Plateau people’s emotions, he has done his best for

the state and earned for himself elder-statesmanship accompanied by the respect of the people.
The likes of Datti and his co-travelers have struggled to amplify the various crises that the state experienced and blame it on the Jang administration, but who has bewitched them? Are they convinced in their hearts when they make derogatory statements about the losses plateau have incurred owing to bouts of crises? Can they truly say that there was ever a time when Jang was not with Plateau people in times of crisis?

Senator Jang was never at any time found wanting in siding with the very people he swore to an oath to provide welfare and security. Little wonder he opened up crisis-prone areas with roads to enable movement of the security agencies in forestalling and dealing with issues of insecurity.

Commissioner Datti and his ilk should save the governor the embarrassment of comparing him with Senator Jang who has a distinguished career and tenure of office which made the state witness transformation in various sectors.
Senator Jang has always demonstrated leadership and it is for this reason that the people came from far and near to grace the occasion. On this note, it is important to extend sincere thanks to former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, a man of peace, a patriotic Nigerian, and a worthy son of Africa for finding time out of his busy schedule to attend the dedication programme. His presence has obviously left an unsettling effect on some people.
In the same vein, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo is well appreciated for sending a worthy representative several important dignitaries from Abuja and representatives of some State Governors, and all those who sent goodwill messages.
Senator Jang wishes to also thank the body of Christ on the Plateau for their show of love including Apostle Joshua Selman.
In spite of all, it is on record that Governor Simon Bako Lalong played the part that was required of him for which he must be commended. The fact that the PDP and APC in the state as well as some self-seeking, overzealous appointees of his went out of order in order to please him does not diminish the appreciation for what he did. Those people did what they did in order to gain favour with him, the governor

must indeed be wary of busybodies in his government who will court more troubles for him in trying to please him unnecessarily.
Senator Jang prays earnestly for God to open the eyes of his people and draw them closer to himself while he reminds the people of Plateau that praying AT a place is different from praying TO the place. Jesus went to several places to pray, including Gethsemane. But his prayers were never to those places but to God Almighty, His Father.
May God have mercy on us all and heal our land.

Clinton Garuba
Media Consultant to Senator Jonah Jang