Buhari Visits Plateau, Commissions Projects

By Jide Afolabi, Jos

President Muhammad Buhari arrived Jos yesterday, Thursday on a 2-day working visit to Plateau state, Home of Peace and Tourism.

The President commissioned completed road projects at the Mararaban Jama’a – Secretariat Junction – British America Junction road, the Miango-Wild Life Park – Rafiki Junction as well as the Domkat Bali/Tudun Wada/Old airport roundabout township roads.

Plateau state government honoured the President by renaming Mararaban Jama’a road to Vom Junction as Muhammadu Buhari Way.

Buhari was also at the Gbong Gwom palace for meeting with traditional institutions, religious bodies and other stakeholders.

Meanwhile, Buhari has launched the state Road Map to Peace, a five-year strategic peace plan drawn up by the Peace Building Agency in the state. He performed the launching at the Little Rayfield Government House in Jos.

The President applauded the state governor for uniting the people of the state, saying, “I have been monitoring the activities of the Plateau State Peace Building Agency. I am indeed quite impressed with the gains and successes recorded in the area of conflict management and peace building which has returned the state to the path of relative peace”.

“I have noted how the government has improved infrastructure, how it has been up to date in the payment of workers’ salaries and pensions and above all how it has restored peace in the state”, he added.

The President also assured the people of Plateau State that their request for the dualization of the road from Abuja to Jos which serves as a gateway to the northeast would be considered promptly.

He also directed the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing as well as other relevant agencies to expedite action towards the refund of money used by the state on various federal road projects.

The Plateau State Governor, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong appealed to President Buhari to assist the state in catering for the thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the various clashes in the state as well as those from neighbouring states taking refuge in the state.

He said, “We have received so many IDPs from Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Kaduna and Yobe states without required support from the Federal Government”.

The President was welcomed by mammoth crowd. The large crowd chanting ‘Baba Oyoyo’ and ‘Sai Baba, Sai Buhari’ led to hurried commissioning of the projects as the security agents had difficulties in controlling the huge crowd.