Plateau: Jang's Administration under EFCC Probe, Says Lalong

Plateau: Jang's Administration under EFCC Probe, Says Lalong

*N2.7 bn looted funds recovered

The  Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, has disclosed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is presently trailing of some key members of the immediate past state administration led by Governor Jonah Jang for alleged corrupt acts.

Speaking in an interview with journalists in Abuja today, Lalong said his administration was keying into the anti corruption crusade driven by President  Muhammadu Buhari, and that such efforts have helped in the recovery of about N2.7 billion in the state.

"Recently, we recovered N2.7 billion in the state. That was money was supposedly lost, but we traced the money which was meant for teachers. If you remember, teachers were not paid in my state for 11 months while civil servants were not paid for about nine months. When I came in, the judiciary was not there because everybody was on strike and it was like the government was dead," he said.

The governor who was elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) further said his government is doing everything possible to purge the former administration of looted funds by putting pressure on the EFCC to fast track investigations on cases before it.

"We have a lot of such investigations going on, we have also had so many arrest especially from the last administration, and many of them are on bail. At the appropriate time, prosecution will start. EFCC may be slow, but I know they will surely prosecute the cases.
"I have said it severally that the fact that you have not heard anything from the state does not mean we are not fighting corruption on the Plateau.

“We have sent several cases to the EFCC and ICPC. My accountant-general just came back from the EFCC. They were called and give evidence as to the investigations that are going on.
"We had a transition committee and we came out and told the Plateau people what we inherited, some of them are genuine and others are not. We have submitted some of them to the EFCC and we also inaugurated a very reputable accounting firm, KPMG, which is currently auditing the state account books, and when they come out with the result, we will make it public.
Speaking on some of the achievements so far recorded by his administration, Lalong explained that apart from clearing most of the arrears of salaries of workers, the government has been able to curtail the insecurity in the state and that those areas which were hitherto no go areas are now free areas for people.
He also said the government is on the verge of flagging off the rebuilding of the popular Jos Main Market in the state capital as a way to revive the economic life of the people.

According to him, "When we came in, we made peace and tourism part of our policy thrust. As part of our five-policy thrust, peace and security was number one. I had the challenge of curtailing the insecurity that I inherited and I am sure that you know that in the last four month before we came in, Jos was a no go area. So we first concentrated on checking the insecurity in the state by ensuring that there is mutual understanding between the Fulanis and the Berons."