In a blunt conversation as a Guest of POINTBLANK NEWS BLOG 16th Interactive Session held on Friday, 3rd May, 2024 Honorable Pamson Dagyat, the Pioneer Statistician General, Plateau State and Deputy Director General, Strategy, Initiative Better and Brighter Nigeria (IBBN), has fearlessly rated both President Bola Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang performances one year into their administrations as President of Nigeria and Governor of Plateau State respectively.
It is not unusual, in political analysis, for radically differing perspectives on the same governance period to exist. One such perspective is given by Hon. Pamson Dagyat, who opines that both President Tinubu and Gov Mutfwang have neither excelled nor faltered greatly in their first year in office.
The National Coordinator, Southern Middlebelt Alliance (SAMBA) critically analysed the two leaders in the light of both the challenges faced and the successes achieved said “drawing from the four fundamental indicators for evaluating leadership on a global scale, it is essential to focus specifically on the acceptable indicators outlined by Mo Ibrahim for assessing African leadership, commonly known as the IAG – Four key components: Security & Rule of Law, Participation, Rights & Inclusion, Foundations for Economic Opportunity and Human Development”.
Dagyat in a perception-based analysis stated that “Clearly, BAT is an experienced politician who knows his onions and is reputed to leverage men and women of substance whom he outsources to deliver results”.
“However, overall, depending on the sector, he has performed relatively poorly. The renewed hope necessitates quick calibration. To be fair to BAT (Bola Ahmed Tinubu), he inherited a non-existent economy and an almost failed state. Whoever took over from Bubu (referring to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Tinubu’s predecessor) must endure challenges, and it’s a miracle that we are still afloat”.
He contuined that “secondly, the overemphasis on the public sector for secured employment remains a significant issue. Until the private sector, especially small and medium-scale companies, drives the economy, we will continue to face an unemployment crisis”.
Proffering solution on the nail biting economic hardship experienced since the ascension to power of Tinubu the frank politician suggested that “To effectively prioritize people, he should begin by flooding the market with food and essential supplies at a loss to the Federal Treasury. From there, he can then pivot and rebase his approach. This strategy offers a straightforward solution in my opinion”.
The Chairman Coalition for Peter Obi – Labour Party Liaison explained that “Flooding the market with basic food imports, stamping out security challenges, and supporting SMEs are crucial steps to take. These actions will help ensure a stable food supply, enhance security, and boost the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises. By addressing these issues effectively, we can create a more robust and sustainable economy for all stakeholders involved”.
He opined that “GEJ (Goodluck Ebele Jonathan) did fantastically well with SURE-P. It is crucial that the NYSC Corper does not return home without access to a working loan to start a business. This should be a key strategy to ensure the successful integration from youth corpers to the workforce.”
Beaming the search light on Barr Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang administration in Plateau State, Hon. Pamson Dagyat’s rating of the administration has been average – a declaration which seemingly avoids the polarised good and bad binaries. Rather, it suggests a performance that is, at once, imperfect and promising.
Highlighting the dreadful consequences of unchecked insecurity due to gross under utilization of the state’s Security Outfit, Operation Rainbow, Dagyat mentioned that “Operation Rainbow has Presidential approval and you can do many creative things with it which GCM (Governor Caleb Mutfwang) is not seeing”. He underscored the urgent need for proactive measures to safeguard the lives and property of residents
Dagyat berated the governor for downplaying the cause of insecurity in the state by submitting that “Have you guys noticed the narrative shift in the governor’s stance towards the Fulani terrorists. He once attributed security issues to drug-related problems. However, the latest excuse is that the governor lacks control over government actors’ security apparatus, while non-governmental Fulani terrorists operate freely. Despite having a significant population of over 3.5 million citizens who could potentially mobilize for self-defence, the situation remains dire. The appointment of a Security Adviser and training of OPs Rainbow seems to be more hype than actual progress”.
Despite the daunting circumstances and challenges, Dagyat feels the Gov Mutfwang administration has not been without remarkable achievements though he is not particularly impressed with the team Mutfwang assembled and berated most of them for under performing. According to him, a significant attainment of his administration has been on Transportation, Women Affairs, Urban Development, Agriculture and Internal Revenue Generation.
Taking a swipe at the agricultural sector as a veritable tool to reengineer economic rebirth, Dagyat said “For agriculture to make sense, it must start with security then farming hardware machineries to available large scale land, and availability of farming inputs”.
On the state government ongoing training of 340 youths in agriculture, Dagyat responded that “The question is which specific areas of agriculture is the training – livestock or crop cultivation? Furthermore, what has been done regarding security concerns for them to thrive? It is noteworthy that the about 300 youths trained is less than 1% of those trained by ASTC under Jang’s leadership. Despite the efforts, security challenges and policies have undermined the impact”.
“Despite the efforts, security challenges and revised policies but subsequent administration has undermined the impact. So how is this training addressing these loop holes?”.
“How will this GCM’s approach alter this narrative? One can only hope for a positive outcome”.
Drawing attention to the longstanding recurrent truncation of Local Government Administrations by successive governments, he said “When governors are overhyped, they transform into sole administrators, and anything goes. Can a democracy function effectively with a budget generated overnight, adopted the next morning, and signed in the afternoon? Where was due process?”
“How can a democratic government dismantle the sub-state democratic structure at LGA, appoint friends and family, and anticipate positive outcomes?” he asked
When questioned about Governor Mutfwang’s greatest folly, he simply retorted, “Can a democracy function effectively with a budget generated overnight, adopted the next morning, and signed in the afternoon? Where was the due process?”
He unveiled his assessment of The Time Is Now Mantra as follows:
1. Financial Stability:
– Review the state’s budget (Failed)
– IGR revenue (Avg)
– Debt levels (High)
2. Transparency:
– Budget,(Failed)
3. Efficiency and Effectiveness:
– Education, (Avg)
– Healthcare, (Avg)
– Transportation, (High )
– Public safety. (Low)
4. Public Opinion:
Public opinion (High)
5. Accountability:
– Ethics commissions, (Avg)
– Oversight bodies, (zero)
– Anti-corruption measures.(Low)
6. Comparisons:
– Compare the state government’s performance with other states (Avg)”
Settling the popular public debate that Governor Mutfwang will likely surpass the infrastructural development witnessed during the administration of Baba Jang, an administration in which Da Dagyat played an active role as a prominent figure, he reasoned differently. “.In all honesty, GCM is indeed a fine gentleman, and I was one of the first to support his gubernatorial candidacy in 2019. As for him becoming a replica of Jang-type service delivery, it’s yet to be visible, only time will tell. It is fair to give him the benefit of the doubt. His first six months were turbulent, and the fear of being kicked out of office by the tribunal may have permitted some bad decisions and so much water has passed under the bridge understandably’
On the contentious issue of the sacking of Workers of the State’s Owned Tertiary Institutions that has generated so much debate leading to litigation, Hon Dagyat, surprisingly sided with the governor. He said “Conversely, the governor is a visitor to all state tertiary institutions. By setting up visitation panels, which he did and utilizing their reports, he holds the authority to dissolve the leadership of these institutions found wanting. I do not take issue with that”
In conclusion, when asked whether the Obedient can do better, he jokingly remarked, “Clearly, the Obedient movement is a function of the quest for good governance and is driven by creative, fearless, and patriotic Nigerians who believe in a people-centric government. If given the opportunity at the national or state level, they would outperform what we are currently seeing. If I am lying, let GCM commot and let me take over for a year – let’s compare, lol.”
Hon. Dagyat’s rating is particularly insightful as it refrains from simply categorizing Gov. Mutfwang’s governance as either good or bad. Instead, it emphasizes the importance of conducting a balanced, evidence-based assessment that acknowledges both the accomplishments and the current challenges. As the administration persists in its governance efforts, there is unquestionably room for advancement and the prospect of surmounting the obstacles that currently exist.
