FOR David Jonah Jang, who has been Plateau Governor since May 29, 2007, his first baptism of fire started in 2008 when government ordered local government elections to be conducted on one certain Thursday. The elections were said to be rigged by the Jang's ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, and that sparked off an electoral crisis, which took ethnic and religious colouration immediately.That crises has continue up to this day unabated, and it has polarised the state, making the Muslims live in some unique settlement, while the same thing obtains for the Christians.A Special Task Force (STF) was later established to take over the internal security of the state as the conventional police force had since been overwhelmed. However, maintaining internal security was and is still very costly, yet, the developmental strides of the governor were not dwarfed by the crises.Good roads have been constructed and commissioned in the state capital and in all the 17 local government councils of the state. The former Government Lodge was expanded and rebuilt, which the governor now uses as his official Lodge and Office.A flyover was constructed, the second of its kind in the North, which was commissioned by President Jonathan and was even named after him. The bridge is second to that of Kaduna State. All this while Jang was not distracted by the crises. While he was embattled, he still managed the remaining available resources to the admiration of even his political opponents.But those in opposition to his government said that even if the governor turned every street or household into a mansion without peace, all is useless. They were quick to say that what they see is physical development and not human development. 'If all the people of the state have been killed, who will inhabit the state and use those beautiful infrastructures'' they asked. According to them, it is better to have security guaranteed than to live in a mansion with fear.With all the crises and bombings, Jang managed to coast to the end of his first tenure of four years. The major killings witnessed in his first tenure were those of Kuru Karama of January 19, 2010, when that Hausa/Fulani settlement was sacked leaving hundreds of people dead. This was followed by what could be called a revenge attack, when a wholly Berom settlement of Dogon Nahauwas was ransacked, leaving hundreds of people massacred in the process. Yet Jang remained undeterred in beautifying the state.The abandoned Zaria Road Stadium, which is being revived by Jang's administration, nears 70 percent completion. The projection was initiated during the military administration. This stadium is of FIFA rating, which is even believed will beat that of Abuja National Stadium on completion.The dualisation of the road to the Permanent site of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) is very monumental and instructive. This is also the contribution of the governor to the teaching university. The Plateau State Specialist Hospital is equally receiving attention, while drugs are being pumped into it and staffed locally with qualified doctors and nurses.On May 29, 2011, Jang was also sworn in as governor for his last tenure of four years, having crossed many political hurdles. Before he emerged winner he was challenged by his deputy, Dame Pauline Tallen, who had decamped from the PDP. Tallen contested on the platform of the Labour Party (LP), while Jang's challenger in his first tenure Pam Dung Gyang, was Tallen's running mate.In the midst of ethnic crises, Jang combined the defence of his electoral victory at the tribunal with dousing the tension in the state. The case dragged from the petition tribunal to the Court of Appeal where his election was upheld. Tallen threatened to go to the Supreme Court, but along the line, she abandoned the case, a development some of her supporters saw as a sell-out.Apparently, the developmental breakthroughs of the governor seem to be slowing down, perhaps because he does not need anybody's votes again since he is in his last lap of his second tenure.
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