By Mark Longyen

Exactly 56 years ago, a child was born to a relatively unknown peasant family in Ajikamai Village, Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau state. A week after his birth, he was christened Simon, a carefully chosen Biblical name. Names, they say, stick with people and influence their lives. And, like his namesake, Simon (Peter), the Simon of Ajikamai grew up to do exploits, which have confounded many.

In spite of a challenging background, the ambitious, determined, resilient, uncompromising, dogged and focused young Lalong overcame all odds and began a tortuous journey of life, which today is dotted with major landmarks.

From elementary school at the Transferred Roman Catholic Primary School in Shendam, to a stint at Government College, Toto, completing at Government Secondary School, Shendam, and then to the School of Preliminary Studies, Keffi, and a sojourn at the University of Jos before proceeding to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he bagged a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, consolidating it with the mandatory Nigerian Law School, Lagos’ BL, and a Master’s Degree in Law at the University of Jos much later, Lalong’s life and academic exploits are a study in a combination of uncommon ambition, determination and resilience.

Looking back at where he took off, and especially against the backdrop of losing his father while in Junior Secondary School, with the father bequeathing nothing to him and his siblings, and where he is today, the people of Plateau state and his community can only thank God for His benevolence by blessing them with such a rare breed.

There is a time-honoured axiom that categorises leaders as being born, made or having leadership thrust upon them. Lalong is a born leader as exemplified by the way he has carried out any tasks he is confronted with in his career peregrinations so far.

Governor Lalong has carved a niche for himself as a lawyer, lawmaker and leader, having successfully traversed the three arms of government - the judiciary, the legislature and the executive with distinction, accolades and results to show. He is also born to win, having won all the electoral contests so far!

Before he ventured into full-time politics, he was a legal practitioner of high standing. He also held several professional leadership positions, such as Assistant Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association, Jos Chapter and President of the Goemai Youth Movement, his tribal association, among many others. And this paved the way for him to enter into politics, which he now bestrides like a colossus at all levels.

Governor Lalong became a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly in 1999 and because of his sterling leadership qualities which his colleagues in the assembly noted early, they elected him as their Speaker.

He was re-elected in 2003 to the State House of Assembly and again elected as Speaker, making him the longest serving Speaker in the history of the State Assembly, a record that has remained unbroken to date. There is no gainsaying the fact that Governor Lalong led the Assembly with wisdom and commitment in spite of some challenges that confronted the state at that time.

This, no doubt, culminated in the people of Plateau State overwhelmingly voting for him in 2015 as their governor, despite the stiff challenge from the then ruling party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party. As a matter of fact, when he declared his intention to contest the governorship election and his campaign posters surfaced in every nook and cranny of the state, nobody gave him a chance because of the overwhelming tight grip which the then ruling party had on the state for 16 years. But the rest, as they say, is now history.

On assumption of office in May 2015, which incidentally is the month of his birth, Lalong quickly settled down to the herculean task of running the affairs of the state with the expertise and experience of a statesman. He silenced his critics in the years of his first term in office and this endeared him to his supporters, especially with his inclusive style of governance which banished all forms of discrimination in terms of one’s ethnic or religious background and carried everyone along… in line with his surname without the first letter.

Through his genuine disposition to peace and judicious efforts to maintain same, Plateau state enjoyed unbroken peace for almost three years of his administration before the enemies of progress suddenly realised that he was doing the impossible. They went back to their trenches, ostensibly with an agenda to dent that enviable record ahead of the 2019 elections which was barely a year away.

In spite of the security setback, the governor promptly liaised with security agencies and other relevant stakeholders and nipped the security challenge in the bud, returning the state to a relative peace.

As part of efforts to sustain peace, security and good governance in the state, in 2016, the governor created the Plateau Peace Building Agency (PPBA) that developed a five-year strategic peace plan.

Being a peace maker naturally, a quintessential lawyer, a legislator par excellence and an exemplary and strategic leader, Governor Lalong adopted dialogue to unite aggrieved parties both in government and other areas.

To underscore the importance of traditional rulers in the attainment of enduring peace, he filled vacant traditional stools and upgraded some deserving second-class chiefs to first-class status.

To complement the other approaches, he liaised with the Federal Government and attracted a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Search and Rescue Unit in Kerang and a Mobile Police Squadron in Shendam and Gashish.

The Plateau State government under Governor Simon Lalong has also procured security vehicles and other logistics for security agencies operating in the state to facilitate their operations.

The harmonious working relationship between his office as the chief security officer and security chiefs in the state is exemplary and worthy of emulation. This synergy has yielded many positive results including ensuring the peaceful conduct of the last general elections despite the prediction that Plateau would go up in flames.

Unemployment is viewed by many as a trigger for insecurity and instability. To curtail the menace, in 2016, the Governor created the Plateau State Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (PLASMEDA). The agency has achieved a lot in terms of training women and youths with entrepreneurial skills and supporting them to set up their businesses. Many youths through these efforts are now gainfully employed and some are now employers of labour. This has, no doubt, taken them off the list of potential crisis mongers.

The Governor Simon Lalong-led administration also successfully cleared N18 billion salary arrears it inherited and has been consistent in prompt and regular payment of salaries and other entitlements of workers and pensioners. This has gone a long way in promoting industrial harmony, which is a bedrock for productivity and peaceful coexistence between the government and the governed. This is in adherence to the Biblical injunction that 'A worker deserves his wages', thus earning him the epithet "Governor Alert".

Posterity will also be kind to him for his uncommon initiative of continuing with projects started by his predecessors, a deviation from what has become the norm in Nigeria. These include multibillion naira projects, which he inherited from past administrations and completed for the overall benefit of the entire people of the state.

Prominent among the projects are the Mararaban Jema’a-British America Express Way and the State Secretariat Flyover, thus ending the anti-development culture of ignoring or abandoning inherited projects in Plateau State.

The Governor also initiated and completed in record time, some key projects including the Low-Cost Road network, the Rantya-Rafiki Road network, the Rukuba Road network, the Angwan Rogo Road network and the Tudun Wada-Kabong Road network. This is in addition to awarding of contracts for about 22 new rural roads to open up the rural areas especially for the transportation of farm produce.

In line with the Federal Government's resolve to diversify the nation's economy to agriculture, Governor Lalong has revived the Plateau Fertilizer Blending Plant in Bokkos, procured 400 tractors and distributed same among farmers in the state to help harness the state’s abundant agricultural potentials with a view to turning around the economic fortunes of Plateau State.

Governor Lalong’s Administration equally rehabilitated the Panyam Fish Farm that was a shadow of itself prior to 2015. The farm has created jobs for many Plateau citizens, and has been contributing to its Internally Generated Revenue. It is now a major source of protein for the people. Besides, the administration repurchased the Brewery Agro Research Company (BARC) Farms that was sold by a former administration in the state.

Industrialisation has also been given priority attention as the government has resuscitated the Highland Bottling Company in Barkin Ladi in partnership with Hummer Drinks Limited on the basis of a Private-Public Partnership agreement.

Another major feat recorded by the Governor Lalong administration is the repositioning of the Plateau Investment and Property Development Company (PIPC) for optimal productivity. One of PIPC’s success stories is the efforts she has made so far in bringing back to life a major revenue earner for the state, the Jos Ultramodern Main Market, which was burnt down almost 20 years ago. Also of note is the rehabilitation of the hitherto dilapidated Plateau Hotel under Private-Public Partnership.

Above all, Governor Lalong has embarked on a number of new projects scattered across the entire state, particularly education and health services, known as the Lalong Legacy Projects. With the ongoing execution of these projects, and their expected completion over the next four years, I want to be quoted as saying that Governor Lalong will leave a legacy that will be difficult to match let alone surpass in the history of Plateau state.

As the People’s Governor clocks 56 years of age today, he should be rest assured that there is no such thing as going downhill for overachievers like him. Rather, he should look forward to delivering more dividends of democracy as the NEXT LEVEL beckons.

Longyen is Lalong’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity.