Regardless of Political party affiliation, Plateau is our Project- APC Assembly Member

Plateau State House of Assembly has assured of it’s commitment in working with all the arms of government regardless of their political party differences inorder to better the state.

Chairman of the 10th Assembly Standing Committee on Works and Transport, Hon. Dickson Chollom stated this during a familiarization visit to Ministry of Transport and the Plateau Express Service Limited on Friday.

Explaining reasons for their visit, the committee chairman said as an arm of government with the constitutional responsibility of appropriating funds to various government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, there is need for them to get acquainted with the various MDAs.

He noted that the visit will provide them an ample opportunity to hear or see some bottlenecks and other challenges faced by the MDAs with a view to helping them to add value to whatever they are doing.

The Chairman added that he is not unaware of the fact that there are issues that are serious bottlenecks, seeing that most at times things like that are always being politicized.

“On the Plateau like I always want to reiterate to allay fears and understanding of the people when the word oversight is mentioned.

“Usually you begin to think is an activity of the committee trying to police, check. Yes, there is that check and balance but then, that is not the most important thing, it is more of giving the dividend of democracy to the generality to our people.

“And every sector has it’s role and responsibility for the people and therefore, the ministry and the committee should be seen as working together, having good synergy with bigger picture of ensuring that the people are the beneficiaries at the end of it.” He said.

Speaking on political party affiliation, Hon. Dickson emphasized the need for cordial working relationship for the good of the state.

” Like I said Mr. Chairman, looking at the political situation on the Plateau, this is the first time you find where the executive is in a different political platform and the legislators in a different political platform.

” We know that it has been a serious issue on the Plateau, but the dust has settled, it is time for governance not politics. Plateau should be the project and there should be one party as far as Plateau is concerned, Plateau people’s party that we all belongs to.

He added that the committee and members of the Plateau State House of Assembly understood that they have a very good and clear vision that they must support government efforts and policies where necessary.

Hon. Dickson appreciated the Commissioner and the management staff of the Transport ministry for being the backbone of the governor’s efforts to achieve the great transformation he is bringing to the transportation sector.

The State Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Jatau Gyang while welcoming the Assembly committee members, appreciated them for coming to see and interact with them and appealed for legislative support to enable them achieve their good plans at ease.

He used the visit and enumerated some of the things he described as achievement in their one year in office in the land, rail and air transport system and also intimated the committee on many other things in the pipeline.

At the Plateau Express Service Limited, the committee were received by the Group Managing Director, Hon. Samuel Gwott and his management team, where he also gave a breakdown of the operation of the service.

He solicited legislative backing for enactment of a law for traffic control management for their Buses and the Bus stops all over the metropolis and also the need for urgent government intervention to bring their terminal at Tafawa Balewa into a modern standard.

The committee chairman in company of some members of the committee, Hon. Matthew Kwarpo Sylvanus and Hon. Ismail Bala appreciated the new innovation in the service.

Dickson said the visit has opened their eyes to see the potential of generating revenue for the state with the new ideas injected and the investment that the state government has made.

The committee chairman expressed concerned on the bad condition of the building,housing the service and pledged legislative support to the service for the interest of the state as a whole.