By; BUHARI B. BELLO, Jos
Governorship aspirant in Plateau State, Dr. Patrick Dakum has given a pass mark to Governor Simon Bako Lalong for putting up many developmental projects which he said will transform the state
He said many of such projects are finished with some ongoing in the entire state.
The governorship aspirant ahead of the 2023 general election, Dr Patrick Dakum was responding to questions from journalists during the official commissioning of his campaign office, held along Bukuru Road opposite Nasco Foods Limited.
“If I am asked to choose one project to work on that is fundamental to the state when elected, l single out security because it’s the bedrock of any development,” he said.
He debunked the rumours going round that Governor Bako Lalong has anointed a particular candidate that will succeed him as in 2023.
He said those parading themselves and insinuating that they are the choice of the governor, are just being mischievous with the bid to constituting themselves as illegal, as all the aspirants received blessings of clean slate to go ahead and contest from the governor, which doesn’t translate to being the governor’s candidate.
“He Lalong can’t put more than one candidate on the seat. For that reason, if any candidate is claiming to be the governor’s candidate, he is illegal.
Dr. Dakum who reeled out his achievements, starting from when he was the Commissioner of Information, CMD Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), and his current position as a medical practitioner in Abuja, he said his antecedents can clearly speak for him as an achiever with plethora of achievements to put on the table for public assessment.
He said the people of Plateau State, without mincing words, are hard working.
“Go to Abuja, in most of the construction sites, Plateau men or women are there, working to earn a living.
“To me, the Plateau man and woman are not lazy, what they just need is a little push that can propel them to another level,” he submitted.
Dakum promised that the government under his watch if he emerges, would offer that help, to push to Plateau citizens to be capable and fend for his/herself to become self dependent.
On the insinuation that he is using the former Governor Joshua Dariye’s political structure, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Human Virology Abuja, Dakum logically said, “every government in one way or the other is a benefactor of another, which cannot entirely be discarded.”
He said some governors benefited from the formidable political structure laid by the first governor of the state, Chief Solomon Dashep Lar, in one way or the other to advance their political cause.
“So it happens to every politician, irrespective of the political background you are coming from. So insinuating that I am using the former governor’s political structure to advance my present political cause, you may not be far from the truth because governorship position is not an individual project, but that of the entire Plateau,” he pointed out.
On his chances of emerging the governor of the state, he said, “without mincing words, the researches carried out by our campaign teams, conspicuously indicate that I am having more than 65 per cent chances in becoming the governor of Plateau, following my antecedent of previous experience in governance and above all, human empowerment.”
