PDP

Mr Jimmy Cheto, a PDP governorship aspirant in Plateau, had said that the payment of workers’ salaries was not an achievement any government should brag about.

“Politicians, especially those in Plateau, keep bragging about regular payment of salaries and identify it as a major achievement of the state government. They want us to see it as a wonderful feat, but I think that is wrong.

“The payment of salaries is a statutory duty and should not be seen as a big deal because only a fraction of the population work with government.

“What we should be talking about are projects that would enhance growth and improve the living standard of the majority of the population. We need roads, bridges, quality hospitals and schools. Talking about salaries is amusing,” Cheto said on Wednesday in Jos.

Cheto, who addressed delegates and PDP members when he visited the PDP secretariat, emphasised the need for a government that would explore available resources toward creating more employment opportunities for Plateau residents.

He said that it was “very dangerous” for Plateau State to depend on federal allocations for survival, pointing out that the state had enough resources to be self-reliant.

The aspirant promised to create an enabling environment that would attract private investors into the mining, tourism, agriculture and steel sectors, taking advantage of abundant raw materials wasting away in those areas.

Cheto regretted that Plateau had remained a civil service state in spite of its abundant resources, and vowed to transform the north-central state into an industrial hub so as to curtail the over-dependence on government as the major employer.

The aspirant said that he had the requisite experience to transform Plateau into a land of opportunities, claiming that his vision was the best among the 13 persons seeking the PDP ticket to contest the governorship polls.

Cheto advised the delegates to vote wisely during the state congress slated for Sept. 30, and cautioned them against being misled by