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From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
There’s no doubt that one of the major priorities of Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State on assumption of office in May 29, 2023, was how to end the decades long internecine sectarian strife, which has claimed hundreds of lives in the state. Of course, the governor is not anywhere removed from the consequences of the constant killings having come from Mangu, one of the areas most hit by these attacks. And as the chief security officer of Mangu when he served briefly as the chairman of the local government area, Mutfwang must have received some security briefings on the security situation in the local government. And this was two days upon coming to office, the first thing he did was to convene a security council meeting, which according to him, had not been held for a year prior to his assumption of office, to fashion ways of putting an end to the security challenge. The meeting appraised the security situation and fashioned out ways of re-motivating the security agencies in the state.
At a recent interaction with journalists in the state, Mutfwang went down memory lane on his efforts at putting the state on the right trajectory half way into his four-year term.
According to him, when he took over in 2023, he had no illusion that the most arduous task he would be confronted with was the issue of security. He however regretted that he is only answering the chief security officer of the state without the necessary security paraphernalia to confront the security challenges bedevilling the state.
As an example, Mutfwang cited an incident when he visited Bindi/Jebbu village of Tahoss district in Riyom Local government area, following a recent attack. Mutfwang told the newsmen who had asked him whether his order to security agencies to release youths of the village arrested in the wake of previous attacks was obeyed.
A somewhat flabbergasted Mutfwang said that his order to release the youths was largely ignored because contrary to the popular aphorism that governors are the chief security officers of the state, they can’t give an order to the lowest ranking security officer, insisting that if it were state police where he was in charge, things would have been different.
Hear him, “My order was ignored because even if they say I am the chief security officer of state, I cannot give such order and it’s obeyed. That’s why I have consistently advocated for state police. The argument that it will be misused, I think, is a lazy argument. It’s an argument by those who are benefitting from the inefficiencies of the present arrangement. But that being said, we are discussing with the military. We have to negotiate, so to say; we will continue the engagement until it is properly, it is our request. It’s no longer a directive now, if you have to discuss, because it’s now a request.”
However, the governor expressed delight that despite the security challenges in the entire state, unlike in the North -East, no part of the state is under the occupation of bandits, stressing, “People would want to know what government has done when these killings continue. But I want you to know that if we hadn’t done the much we have done with the intelligence at our disposal, by now Plateau State would be a different place. There are so many details we cannot unveil, but I’m glad to tell you that, in fact, among the states in North-Central Nigeria, that Plateau State is relatively safer than others because at the moment we do not have any local government in Plateau State that is completely a no-go area. But if you go to the other parts of the country, there are local governments you cannot set foot on because they have been taken over by bandits. But to the glory of God, we don’t have such a scenario on the Plateau.”
Mutfwang, however, expressed optimism that in no distant time, the security situation would be improved significantly.
These hiccups notwithstanding, Mutfwang, in the last two years have been able to weather the storm and deliver dividends of democracy to the people of Plateau State.
According to him, he had been able to achieve much because he had not embarked on awarding new contracts. The governor said that he had only concentrated on projects started by his predecessors, especially the administration of former Governor Jonah Jang, because of his belief that government is a continuum.
Close assessment of the governor’s achievements in just two years would reveal that he has redefined governance through a bold, people-centered approach that resonates across all sectors and communities. From the rolling hills of the hinterlands to the vibrant streets of Jos-Bukuru metropolis, the transformation is tangible—not just in physical infrastructure, but in the rekindled spirit of unity, dignity, and collective hope for a prosperous Plateau.
In infrastructural development for instance, the government had made strategic infrastructure development a cornerstone of its administration, facilitating trade, mobility, and economic growth. The Utonkon–Nunku–Keana 5.6km road with a spur to Abattoir with 9-span Flyover Bridge at Utonkon–Nunku–Keana Road, is one good example. This road had eliminated the traffic snare often associated with the busy Yakubu Gowon Way, especially in the evenings. Other road projects are: the Hope Hill Road, Lands & Survey Road, Liberty Boulevard–Gold & Base Road, Living Faith Road, West of Mines Road, Ahmadu Bello–Kashim Ibrahim Road, Rhino Golf Club Road, Rikkos Junction (TT&T)–Yanshanu Road, Maternity–Moonshine Hotel Road; Ahmadu Bello–Plateau Riders Road, Maternity–Masalacin Juma’a, Zololo Junction RoadYanTrailer/Main Market Road, Sarkin Arab Street, St. Michael Street, Dutse Uku Road; Building Materials–Open University Road, ATMN D.B. Zang Road, Plateau Roundabout–CBN Road; Rwang Pam Street, Glorious Praise Academy Road (Behind Old Government House, Jos), Angwan Rukuba–Police Outstation Road, Angwan Rukuba–St. Michael Road; Daisy Land–Zaramaganda Road, Dadin Kowa Road Network and the Plateau Hospital–Hill Station–CBN Road, Maternity–Moonshine Hotel–Chorbe Road to mention but a few.
The J.D. Gomwalk Secretariat, which had become derelict over the years also witnessed some retouching with the renovation of 19 offices and the upgrade of the New Government House to modern standards.
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Others include the re-equipping of the Fire Service Headquarters in Bukuru fully re-equipped with modern firefighting systems and PPE, refurbishment of iconic Tati Hotel in Jos (65 per cent complete); auxiliary facilities at 95 per cent, the Deputy Governor’s Office Complex, which is 60 per cent completion and 20 branded bus shelters under construction in Jos–Bukuru metropolis, whose completion is 30 per cent.
Some of the major on-going road projects include the Rukuba Satellite Market Road (6.9km from Tudun Wada to Mado) – 55 per cent complete, being undertaken by Jolex Construction, New roads in Raku-Belteng and Gyel-Bukuru with 47 per cent completion.
Roads in local government areas were not left out as slum road rehabilitation in Jos South has reached 24.1km at 45 per cent progress, while the 9-span Flyover at Danchom Junction with access to Old Airport Road is 40 per cent completion.
Mutfwang also revealed how the projects were spread across the three senatorial zones in the state.
For instance, in the Northern Senatorial zone, the governor had completed the Europharm–Zarmaganda–Mazaram Roads (19.47km) ; Rukuba–Miango–Farin Lamba Road with spurs (55.23km) ; Tahoss–Ganawuri–Dahreng–Koronfang Road (27km), Fobur–Federe–Angware Road (27km), amongst others.
The Central Senatorial zone has benefitted in the Mangu–Bwai–Mushu Road (17km), ; Mangu–Gindiri–Lere Road with spur to Chanso (45.5km); Panyam Fish Farm Road, nearing completion, the Gunji–Shiwer–Dokpai Road with spur to Tiplik (33km) and the Langkang–Dyis–Kagu–Sihin Road (24km) .
The Southern Senatorial zone has benefitted in the Mararaban Demshin–Demshin–Shimankar Road (30.48km); Longvel–Yelwa–Mato Junction & Demshin–Dadin Kalong Roads (84.49km) ; Dokan Tofa–Baap–Kurgwi & Jibam–Dokan Kasuwa Roads (61km)
Apart from these, there are other significant ongoing projects such as the Bisichi–Korot–Fan–Mangu Halle Road (36km); Fobur–Naton–Fursa–Maijuju–Zandi Road (27.6km). Indeed, the road projects as enunciated by the governor were so numerous and what is significant was that these projects were handled by local contractors.
In a bid to provide clean water for the populace, the governor signed joint development agreement with Quaint Power and Infrastructure Ltd for renewable energy projects on Yakubu Gowon, Lamingo, and Liberty Dams, rehabilitated the Yelwa Water Treatment Plant and its associated 25km pipeline in Jos South, acquired three water tankers and water treatment chemicals to enhance water supply and quality and approved rehabilitation and upgrade of water infrastructure in Bokkos, Langtang North, and Wase local government areas.
In rural electrification, the governor signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to scale mini-grids and implement the E-HEART Programme, targeting electrification of 25 communities with critical health, education, agriculture, and transport infrastructure and also installed solar-powered boreholes, water kiosks, spring boxes, and reticulation networks across various LGAs, including Vom (Jos South), Daffo and Maikatako (Bokkos), Manguna, Amang West, Pushit, Kerang, Mangu Halle, and Panyam (Mangu), Pilgani and Dadur (Langtang North), Mavo and Kadarko (Wase).
In healthcare delivery, the government recruited 22 top-tier medical consultants across specialties including Surgery, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cardiology, Pathology, and Psychiatry, completed the long-abandoned laboratory complex and injected N2 billion for modern equipment, implemented a robust Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system and expanded the Residency Training Programme to cover Paediatrics, Surgery, Internal Medicine, and Gynaecology.
The governor has also made health care easily accessible through the PLASCHEMA and Health Insurance, which has increased health insurance coverage from 93,605 enrolees in May 2023 to 208,550 by March 2025 — a 123 per cent surge with over 9,000 vulnerable citizens enrolled under the Mutfwang Care initiative.
In all sectors, education, budget and economic planning, science and technology, there is a strong signature of Mutfwang’s administration. In trying to make education available for all, the governor approved 50 percent reduction in tuition fees for indigenes in state-owned tertiary institutions, achieved course accreditations across Plateau State University, College of Health Technology Pankshin, College of Nursing Vom, College of Agriculture Garkawa, and College of Education Gindiri, paid IJMB examination fees (2022–2024) at CAST Kurgwi and Law School fees (2023–2025) for Plateau indigenes and increased scholarship funding by 300 percent for Plateau students nationwide, amongst other interventions in that sector.
According to pundits, with Governor Caleb Mutfwang, it appeared that the lost glory of Plateau as the home of peace and tourism is being gradually restored.
