Jang left N104b debt– Lalong

GOVERNOR Simon Lalong of Plateau State says the immediate past governor of the state, Jonah David
Jang left N104 billion debt in his hand-over note to him.

  Lalong said while addressing judicial workers who were led by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Pius Damulak, in a visit to the governor at the Presidential Lodge wing of the old  Government House in Rayfield, Jos, said that he found no kobo in the state treasury, stressing that Jang left him a total debt of N104 billion, including debt owed workers who had not been paid their monthly salaries for seven months now.

  "I want the Judiciary to know that the past administration left N104 billion naira documented in the handing over note to me and there is also no kobo left in the treasury of the state and we will have to battle again with the seven months unpaid salaries of workers, including pensioners in the state," Lalong said.

  Speaking on the occasion too, the Plateau State chief Judge, Damulak, complained that the state judiciary was underfunded during the past administration. He called on Lalong to regard the judiciary as a key sector which should not be played with.

  The revelation of the N104 billion debt profile of Plateau State is a shock to Plateau people who were told only last month by Jang's last commissioner of information, Alhaji Abubakar Badu, that the state was indebted by only N18 billion. This was however before the Jang administration took up a N27 billion loan from the capital market amidst criticism from many quarters.

  However even with the debt profile, the new governor is saddled with the responsibility of reconciling the people of the state.