Jang allocates N6b renovated Government Lodge to traditional rulers

The Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, has  officially announced the handing over of the old Benue/Plateau State Government House edifice to the Chairman Traditional Council of Chiefs, the Gbong Gwom of Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba.

But the development is generating controversy in some quarters.

The major question has been: why should government spend well over N6 billion to renovate the edifice in question and suddenly hand it over to traditional rulers?

Governor Jang had told the people of the state that he was going to renovate the Government Lodge for usage as the Deputy Governor’s office.

However, after the work was completed, Jang said the main Government House was not a befitting one.

At this week’s State Executive Council meeting, the governor said the Plateau State Governors Lodge and office at Jishe would henceforth become the Palace of the Gbong Gwom Jos and the secretariat of the state’s traditional rulers.

With the relinquishing the office, government functionaries would be moved to the newly constructed Government House at Little Rayfield in Jos South Local Government Area, which the state government said will be commissioned on September 5 this year.

Speaking with journalists, the state Commissioner of Information and Communication, Barrister Olivia Dazyem, said Jang had in 2011 approved the construction of new Government House at an initial cost of N444,103.21 million, which was later reviewed to N9,666,765,911.53 due to additional works.

The SEC also received a memo for the movement of the Gbong Gwom’s Palace to the present Governors Lodge and office, Jishe, because he is the Chairman of the state council of chiefs.

Dazyem said: “The decision came up after careful assessment of the palace of the Gbong Gwom Jos, where government saw the need to relocate the palace from its present location to the office being vacated by the governor at the Governors Lodge, Jishe.”

Dazyem stressed that the decision was taken based on reasons among which were convenience and adequate space, with the strengthening of the security of the person of his majesty, the Gbong Gwom Jos, which was threatened.

“With the movement of the office of the Gbong Gwom to Governors Lodge, the present palace would be turned into a state museum where every local government would be adequately represented with space.”