Following the recent controversy over the Jos Main Market MOU with Jaiz Bank, the Christain Association of Nigeria CAN, Plateau State Chapter Chairman, Rev Fr Polycarp Lubo, has said that it was not reasonable to mortgage the lives and properties of Plateau citizens for 40years.
Rev Fr Polycarp Lubo said this while speaking to Journalist in Jos shortly after a meeting held between major stakeholders and the Plateau State Government in which it advised the Government to put the deal on hold until proper consultations are done.
He said it was the decision of the stakeholders, including the Christain Association of Nigeria, the coalition of indigenous Leaders of the tribes of Plateau State, and the Youths that further delibrations and consultations be made to gain further clarity rather than jump into a forty years MOU for the rebuilding of the Jos Main market.
The CAN chairman who convened the stakeholders and Government consultation stated that the Government should listen to the fears and concerns on the citizens in the state so as to get a balance of the realities leading to the proposed rebuilding of the Jos Main Market.
“The resolution of all the persons convened at the meeting is that the deal should be put on hold but the Government has not responded yet but has promised to look into it and if they find any issue they will call our attention and also get back to us” Rev Fr Lubo further stated.
The Plateau State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Chrisantus Ahmadu, while speaking, said that a lot of the positions taken by the general public were due to misinformation, that the Plateau state Government was ceding the market to Jaiz Bank for 40years which was not true.
“The agreement is that it is the allottees, that is the persons who will buy the shops that will be granted a 40years sub-lease by the Jos Main Market Authority and at the end of 40years the property then reverts back to Jos Main Market Authority”
“It is not Jaiz bank that will be giving forthy years lease it is the buyers that will have an interest. If Government is giving you a Certificate of Occupancy, it gives it for 99years, but for commercial properties, its between 30 to 50 years. So we negotiated with Jaiz bank that the allottees will have 40years so that they will be able to recoup the money that they have invested in buying the shops.”
“We have not yet concluded but we have reached some sort of agreement as to how we want the MOU to be carried out as a partnership as such the government is not ceding the property to anyone.” He said
Ahmadu said that the advice of suspension of the deal by stakeholders was due to the lack of proper information and the early leakage of the deal on social media which was concocted by misinformation, however, the government was doing its bid to properly address citizens to understand it better.
He said the project was critical in getting government finances as allocations were behind with backlogs of salaries so that is why the Government is keen on getting the market back to business.
The Managing Director/ CEO of the Plateau Investment and Property Development Company (PIPC) Limited, Mr. Chrysogonus Yilzak, said that the MOU is yet to be signed as discussions are still on to fine-tune the agreement.
He said it was okay for the citizens to express fears that in all light were genuine with concerns that needs to be addressed.
“Whatever is being done we have to ensure that it is the Plateau people that benefit so that at the end of the day it will be a win-win for all.” Mr. Yilzak said.
Recall that Controversy has trailed the proposed rebuilding of the burnt popular Jos ultra-modern Main Market following the state government’s discussion with Jaiz Bank.
The market, which was a major economic hub and significant contributor to the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state, was burnt down in 2001.
However, soon after Governor Simon Lalong’s government entered into discussion with the Jaiz Bank, accusations were leveled against the state government from different quarters in the state, alleging that the government was ceding the market to an Islamic bank.
Rep Bagos using Jos Market Issue as Campaign Booster – Rescue Monitoring Team
The Rescue Monitoring Team, led by Comrade Iliya Mark JP, has said that the Member Representing Jos South/Jos East Constituency, Dachung Musa Bagos, is using the controversy over the proposed MOU by on the rebuilding of the Jos Markety as a campaign booster.
This follows the recent Court injunction acquired by the reps member stopping MOU between the Plateau state Government with Jaiz Bank on the rebuilding of the monumental Jos Market which was destroyed by fire.
Comrade Iliya described Hon Bagos as a “Member Representing Channels/AIT Constituency” (for spending his time on TV rather than in the Chambers)
REP BAGOS FINALLY FINDS CAMPAIGN BOOSTER IN JOS MAIN MARKET HAVING FAILED TO IMPRESS CONSTITUENTS
Dachung Musa Bagos, Member Representing Jos South/Jos East Constituency better known as “Member Representing Channels/AIT Constituency” (for spending his time on TV rather than in the Chambers) has finally found a campaign booster for his ailing, wobbly and unimpressive bid to return to the Green Chambers.
Bagos who has a high reputation for grandstanding and is a notorious specialist in using tragedy, misfortune and crises to access power and grab attention recently found the perfect booster in the discourse about the efforts to rebuild the Jos Main Market by the Lalong administration.
Although the initiative has not been finalised, Bagos who has been nowhere to be found in his Constituency and is in fact walking towards failure because of his disastrous performance, decided to latch unto the issue by creating, sponsoring and sustaining the false narrative and propaganda against the policy.
He went on to issue a press statement on 27th July where he made spurious allegations and raised politcally-infested questions about rebuilding the market by the Government.
Bagos also pretended to be patriotic by raising the mundane questions and even displayed his ignorance or mischief By questioning the powers of the Plateau State Government to rebuild the market instead of Jos North LGA since markets are under the Local Governments in the 1999 Constitution.
But he ignored the fact that the burnt Jos Main market which was built by the State Government in 1975 and managed by the Jos Main Market Authority (JMMA) has never been under local government or been contested by the local Government.
Despite consistent clarifications, explanations and engagement to put the records straight, Bagos and his sponsored hirelings continued to feed the gullible with the falsehood that Jaiz Bank will own the market for 40 years and that Plateau heritage is being mortgaged to Islamic Bank.
The facts however are different as the 40 years lease is for individuals that will buy shops from either the 40 percent of the Government (which is not putting 1kobo for the project aside the land) and 60% to be allocated to Jaiz Bank (which is funding the entire construction at the cost of 10 billion).
After he failed to gain traction with his propaganda, misinformation and disinformation, he has run to the courts to obtain an injunction stopping the Government from going ahead with the rebuilding the market.
This is novel, shocking and tragic. If one may ask, in what capacity is he instituting the action? Is he representing himself, House of Representatives or the Plateau State House of Assembly? Does he has the locus standi to usurp a Government policy yet to be implemented or even implemented by another arm of Government? What happened to the separation of powers? Well, the courts will decide.
While we await the court to determine his action, it is clear that Bagos who has gained notoriety in sponsoring protests and instigating incitements cares little about the progress and economic development of Plateau State but more about his wobbly political career.
We note that Bagos who gained political fortune by sponsoring and leading protest including the violent one that damaged the new Government House, has not made any impact in his Constituency since he was elected, hence his rejection by his constituents and by his god father at the PDP Primaries. It was only after his tearful repentance, begging, bribing and prostrating on the ground to the stakeholders that he was given the ticket again.
Now that he has no scorecard of achievements to use for the campaign, he has fallen back on his old tricks of using controversy, misfortune and deciet to try to hoodwink the gullible. He has found the Jos Main Market issue as his new constituency project that he hopes will fetch him another election. What a pity!
Now let’s ask Rep Bagos these questions:
1. What do you have to show since you went to Abuja? Are you in the same House of Representatives with people like Hon. Maje, Gagdi and Beni and Mwadkon who have shown their capacity?
2. How come it’s only after attacks and misfortune that you appear on TV or at the scene to shed fake tears or to grandstand and abuse Government?
3. Show us your performance card as Representative of Jos South/Jos East in the last 3-4 years.
4. What is your interest against the rebuilding of the Jos Main Market?
5. Why have you as representative of the people not moved a motion or tried to influence Federal, private or corporate funding to rebuild the market since it was burnt?
6. What do you personally stand to loose if the main market is rebuilt?
7. Who is bank-rolling your opposition to the development of your state?
8. Do you want to be on the wrong side of history by being remembered as the person who sought to stop the economic development of Plateau State?
9. Do you think this fruitless endeavour will fetch you reelection?
10. If you are a true Legislator, do you know the doctrine of separation of powers?
11. Are you happy with the way the market is looking now?
12. Does the land upon which the Jos Main Market market will be built belong to you or your family?
13. Are you now Member representing Jos North/ Bassa?
While you answer these questions, we pray God keeps you alive to witness the rebuilding of the market and even give you a shop or the money to go there and buy one thing or another. We assure you that no amount of intimidation, protests, court action or propaganda will stop the progress of the State under the leadership of Rt. Hon Simon Bako Lalong. Just like you failed to stop the British-American Flyover and Dualisation to Lamingo Roundabout Junction, you will fail more in this futile effort against Jos Main Market.
We advise you to look beyond immediate benefits and quest for political office and think generationally. You are still young and stand to benefit even more from the market. Not everything is politcal and in case you forget, every government needs money to serve the people. That is what exactly Governor Lalong is doing for the administrations that will come after him. He is thinking long term and you are there thinking not beyond your nose.
Recall that Controversy has trailed the proposed rebuilding of the burnt popular Jos ultra-modern Main Market following the state government’s discussion with Jaiz Bank.
The market, which was a major economic hub and significant contributor to the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state, was burnt down in 2001.
However, soon after Governor Simon Lalong’s government entered into discussion with the Jaiz Bank, accusations were leveled against the state government from different quarters in the state, alleging that the government was ceding the market to an Islamic bank.
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