According to Herb Caen “A city is not gauged by its length and width, but by the broadness of its vision and the height of its dreams”. In consonance with this philosophy, the administration of Barr Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has promulgated Executive Order 003. The Executive Order is to ensure the total metamorphosis of Jos Metropolis, which signifies a monumental stride towards urban transformation.
Consequent upon the commencement of this executive order, Arc Hart Bankat, the General Manager of Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB), has pledged that the implementation which will commence promptly on Wednesday, 19th March, 2024 shall be total and comprehensive without preference for social status or primordial sentiment. Arc Bankat stated this when he featured as a Guest on the Maiden Edition of POINTBLANK NEWS BLOG INTERACTIVE SESSION on Sunday Evening 17th March, 2024
“I don’t know the definition of rich or poor but under this administration we have maintained that we are first accountable to God and the people and the law is no selector of wrong” declared Bankat. The intelligent General Manager added that “We are not scared of whose ox would be gored, the right thing must be done at all times and I can assure you that under my watch we are all humans and equals”
The Interactive Session is an initiative of Pointblank News Blog aimed at ensuring that the populace’s misunderstanding and misinterpretation of government policies and purposes are reduced to the barest minimum. The Interactive session seeks to promote a knowledgeable citizenry and also assist the government in delivery direct and unfiltered opinion from the public on its programmes and activities. The session takes place every Sunday and Wednesday by 8pm on the blog’s whatsApp group.
Responding to questions from the Editor In Chief of www.pointblank.com.ng on the necessity of the Executive Order, Arc Bankat said “the executive order is His Excellency’s swift response to feedbacks we got from consultations and stakeholders towards bringing back sanity to the state, it is our expectation that if fully implemented Plateau would take its place in the comity of states”. He appealed for public’s support to actualize this historical metamorphosis.
Jos Metropolis, the capital city of Plateau State, the home of peace and tourism, is renowned for its natural beauty, enchanting landscape, and moderate climate, “however, from the inception, J. D. Gomwalk in 1978 had a vision to see Plateau as the most planned city hence the Greater Jos Master plan which was comatose for a long while until Jonah Jang administration in 2010 which activated it and would expire next year, it is our hope and desire that it shall be reviewed and extended for proper implementation”
According to www.pointblank.com.ng the Executive Order 003 is a prime demonstration of the government’s commitment to enhancing Jos Metropolis’s potential. It is therefore, crucial that the citizens and other stakeholders understand the intensity and breadth of this transformation and align their actions with the government’s vision.
Determined to preserve the serenity and uniqueness of Jos Metropolis beautiful landscape yet overseeing modern infrastructural transformation, Arc Bankat vowed that “By the special grace of God we intend to halt haphazard developments and expansion while opening up new areas and expanding the city within the greater Jos Master plan and other urban centers in the LGA’s” pledged Bankat.
Arc Bankat is optimistic that the Executive Order 003 will arrest the incessant spate of fatal accidents around Polo Round About. “The executive order has tackled that by restricting movements and operative hours, hopefully that would be settled”. The roundabout is notorious for accidents by trucks, lorries and long vehicles claiming lives and destroying properties on a weekly basis.
Reacting to a question on the defacing of the city centre with posters, an act usually carried out at night, the General Manager assured that “All this would be sorted and whether the perpetrators are faceless the posters belong to individuals or organisations so it is the responsibility of us all as citizens to keep watch”
On the Second Edition come Wednesday, 20th March, 2024, the Director General of Plateau State Environmental Protection And Sanitation Agency PEPSA, Mr Samuel Dapiya Success shall be the Guest. As the skies heavily pregnant with rain, it’s a pertinent time for PEPSA to shift its paradigm from reactivity to proactivity. Anticipating challenges, combatting them with innovative strategies, and maintaining a pristine Plateau is imperative. Only then can PEPSA truly justify its mandate, ensuring the Plateau remains an ecological haven, with its beauty untarnished by the elements
PEPSA must remain diligent, not only when the rains arrive but ideally beforehand, by proactively implementing robust waste management programs, enforcing compliance with environmental regulations, and educating inhabitants about the implications of poor waste management during the rainy season.
