I Have Not Received Any Salary As Governor - Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong

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The Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, said on Sunday that he has not received any salary since he assumed office due to inadequate funds in government coffers. Lalong made this known on Sunday in a media parley with journalists in the state.

The governor explained that he decided not take any salary because his focus was to first settle the backlog of salaries owed civil servants incurred before he assumed the leadership of the state.

He said the financial situation of the state was also the reason for the delay in making political appointments.

“Even those I have appointed so far have not been paid salaries.

“I myself have not received a single month salary as I speak with you; we want to settle civil servants salaries first,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lalong had appealed journalists to be fair in their reportage as some of the reports that go to the press are not true reflection of the situation.

According to the governor, the recent reports that state government was not doing anything regarding the security situation bedevilling the state was untrue.

On insecurity, Governor Lalong said 150 additional mobile police officers were recently deployed to the state to curb communal attacks, particularly in Barkinladi and Riyom local government areas where violence has continue unabated.

On the recovery of public funds allegedly looted by his predecessor, Jonah Jang, Mr. Lalong said he has handed the matter to the anti-graft agency, EFCC, to investigate and bring defaulters to book.

“Since the two weeks grace I gave them elapsed without any response, I have written to EFCC to take over from where we stop, but if they delay in the assignment, I will remind them again,” he said.

Mr. Lalong also said his administration has paid 5 out of the 7 months workers’ salaries arrears he inherited.

“We will pay the 6th month tomorrow (Monday),” he said.

The governor also said that the Plateau crisis lingered because security operatives were owed 6 months allowances, which his administration has settled.

He explained that the state was yet to access the federal government bailout funds. According to him, Plateau will be in the next batch of states to receive the bailout funds.

Commenting on the allegation that his administration has already borrowed money, he explained that he took a loan of N4.5 billion to settle workers’ salaries.

He assured that his administration would not delay in conducting elections into local governments, but noted that the dissolved council executives were in court and therefore elections could not hold.

The governor said his administration would welcome constructive criticism from the media, but would not tolerate journalists who report falsehood.

Commenting on the media chat, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Plateau State Council, Yakubu Taddy, commended the initiative.

Mr. Taddy appealed to the governor to be media friendly so as to avoid unnecessary rumours about his administration.