The senator representing Plateau North Senatorial District, Hon. Pam Dachungyang has presented his score card of less than two years as a representative of the good loving people of Plateau No rth Sentorial District.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ, Plateau State Council Secretariat on Thursday, the senator said the press conference was necessitate by the current political atmosphere that is heating up due to the political happenings, and at the same time, the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
The lawmaker noted that his aspiration to represent his people was on a 5 guided manifesto which are “Practical Representation and Community Engagement, Women and Youth Empowerment Drive,
Functional Education and Critical Placement, Peace and Security of the people and Legislative Functions.
He said to this end, ” I have pursued this agenda with all seriousness within the context of the times we find ourselves.” The senator summarized his achievement as follows.
PRACTICAL REPRESENTATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Last year, you may recall the “Thank You Tour” I carried out in the zone. This is to appreciate the trust the people repose in me by voting me into office. It also gave me the ample opportunity to exchange ideas face-to-face as well as give vital information, advice and support on areas sensitive to community development. I was able to hear their cries, wishes and needs. In that gathering, there are things they wanted me to do for them and what I think would be possible for me to do for them.
I went further to engaged the Northern Zonal Chapter of the Plateau Youth Council, PYC, on a wholesome chat. Issues of practical concerns were discussed and addressed. The same goes to the tribal associations. We sat and agreed to tackle sensitive issues bedeviling the zone.
I also sat, on a one-on-one discussion, with some traditional rulers, religious heads, group leadership, elders and youths who drew my attention on some issues that would bring progress, development and success to the communities. These discussions enabled me to have on the spot assessment of what was going on in the zone. There were reports at some time, by anonymous sources, of some dangerous moves by people of the underworld to scuttle the fragile peace we are enjoying in the Zone; purposely, to cause confusion in the society. I swiftly delved into it and it was nipped in the bud.
WOMEN AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT DRIVE
It is important to point out to the press, that so far, I have not been able to see through a complete budget cycle yet. By the time I came in, the 2024 budget had already been passed into law. The only item I got from that budget was the Zonal Intervention Project (ZIP) and later the supplementary budget. The former I used to carry out an empowerment in October, 2024 at Zang Commercial Secondary School in Bukuru where over 200 women and youths benefit the training in poultry and other agricultural training.
The later, being the supplementary budget, was done recently, with over 700 constituents across Plateau North Senatorial District who did benefited from that empowerment. Beneficiaries received training in agricultural ventures backed up with starter packs and cash for startup, others received fertilizer and other agricultural inputs such as knapsack sprayers, herbicides, 22 beneficiaries went home with brand-new special-purpose tricycles. It goes beyond to say that I cannot count the number of those I have assisted in one way or the other to embark on establishing new small scale businesses.
To this end, it marks the end of 2024 budget provision to Plateau North Senatorial District. The 2024 budget terminates on the 31st December, 2025.
To further address youth unemployment, we lobbied and saw to the completion of a Skills Acquisition Centre in Riyom Local Government Area, aimed at equipping young people with practical, income-generating skills.
In the area of employment, I have facilitated pensionable jobs for numerous constituents in various government agencies. Beyond this, I have continued to push for increased federal placements for Plateau North citizens and have been at the forefront of assisting many in transferring their services from the state to the Federal Civil Service.
FUNCTIONAL EDUCATION AND CRITICAL SECTOR PLACEMENT
1. Education:
On the educational front, I have stepped in to offset the WAEC fees for students of GSS Kwata in Jos South and GSS Riyom in Riyom LGA. I have also had course to settle the tuition fees for Plateau North students at the Maritime Academy, Oron who were at the verge of being thrown out of the school. In addition, I recently paid a substantial amount of money to augment the school fees for my constituents who studying at the Aviation College in Zaria. I have paid millions of Naira to quite a number of desirous primary, secondary and tertiary schools people in dear needs of assistance.
2. Sports:
In recognition of the fact that sports significantly foster youth development beyond the playing field, I sponsored the 2024 Cycling Competition in Jos which drew cyclists from others Senatorial zones and some from outside the State. That event was a watershed in the history of cycling in Nigeria considering the fact that Plateau State has comparative advantage when it comes to the game.
Just recently, I bankrolled the National Badminton Competition which brought over twelve State to Plateau State to compete. In that competition, Plateau athletes came out tops. This is apart from other support for events across the senatorial District. I am hoping to embark on the same drive in Soccer, Basketball, Volley Ball, Table Tennis, Long Tennis, And Hockey.
3. Agriculture and Food Security:
I line with the National Policy on Agriculture and Food Security, I have created the niche to see that our people get what they deserve.
In all of these, we have made some modest achievements. Majority of our population are farmers, and as such, every year, I make it a point of duty to procure and distribute assorted fertilizer to our teeming farmers across the zone every farming season. This same gesture will be replicated in a big way this year.
4. Health:
‘Health is Wealth’, as the saying goes. In the past few months, I have made series of intervention on health related issues. Some of them got to the vulnerable. In the 2025 appropriated budget, which will be implemented this year, a significant amount of resources has been channeled to some health centers within the zone.
5. Power/Energy:
As a matter of urgency and need, reported cases of some communities who were living in the dark got succor through my intervention program which brought light to them. In the 2025 budget provision, I again selected some communities that would benefit with transformers and solar street lights distribution. Currently, the Riyom community is enjoying part of that gesture.
PEACE AND SECURITY OF THE PEOPLE
You are all aware that the biggest challenge facing us as a people is insecurity. The security situation in Nigeria today is something else. This has been a major area of concern for me. I have been consulting with traditional institutions and other key stakeholders to find a permanent solution to this issue. You may not have heard much from me on this aspect, this is because I believe that issues of security must be handled discretely to achieve results. We will be relentless until our Zone and State is rid of terrorists.
It is quite disturbing and disheartening when I visited some of the places that has these incident of attacks. I could not sleep because what I saw, was unbelievable and horrible. The sight was terrible. I took a bold step and reported the matter to National Assembly. It was in this wise and in addition to many other cases of similar magnitude coming from different parts of the country that a National Security Summit was initiated. In my opinion, let us all come and reason together and tackle the situation together.
There is danger in killing a person and more terrible is to kill an innocent soul. Shedding of innocent blood is bad and has serious eternal consequence. The resultant consequences are terrible and bad to whoever perpetrates it. It is very sad to hear that we in the Northern Zone cannot sleep with our two eyes closed.
As the Senator representing the zone and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Tourism, I am using this opportunity to urge and also tell whosoever that is part of these killings or supporter of these heinous acts and still lives in Plateau North Senatorial District of Plateau State to stop these dastardly acts immediately.
We are embarking on a serious possibility to reopen all tourist destinations in the State. The State Governor, His Excellency, Barr Caleb Manesseh Mutfwang, is ready and I am also ready to see that Plateau State bounce back fully to accommodate visitors both local and internationally.
LEGISLATIVE FUNCTIONS
Furthermore, I am happy that I was part of the 2025 budget making process. This is where I have earmarked projects for the people of Plateau North. However, due to what I will call the Nigerian factor, the reality on ground is that the capital component of that budget did not start in 2025, it is billed to start this January 2026. Distinguished gentleman of the press, this is the true situation of things as of today.
There are three (3) arms of government operating in our present day democracy. In a presidential system, we have the Legislature which makes the laws, the Judiciary which interprets the laws and the Executive which executes/implement the laws.
As a Senator, I belong to the first group; the arm that makes the laws. My primary responsibility is to make laws. In doing so, as my legitimate duties, is to keenly deal with: Legislation on drafting, debating, and voting on laws for the country’s governance.
Representation as a voice for my constituency, addressing their concerns and bringing their local issues to the national stage.
Oversight Functions in scrutinizing government agencies and officials ensuring laws are implemented effectively and investigating issues thereto.
Confirmation of Appointments from the President to either approve or reject and ratifying treaties.
Committee work by deeply diving into specific policy areas through specialized standing committees.
I am not yet two (2) years in office at the Upper Chambers of the National Assembly, but I am determined to continue to push for the betterment of our people.
In the Red chambers, there is no basis for comparison among ourselves because we all came from different political, social, religious and ethnic backgrounds.
We are all Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and we see ourselves so. Senators don’t execute projects. We only inspect projects executed by the Executive arm of government on over-sight capacity. Where you see a legislator doing any project, is a kind gesture from the Executive to the former’s constituency. It is not a right but a mere privileged given by the Executive and it is highly accounted for. What I get I give it out, too.
Few months ago, I was able to proposed two (2) bills in the first reading. One is the proposed conversion of National Veterinary Research Institute, NVRI, Vom to Federal University of Veterinary Medicine, Vom and the other is to upgrade Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin-Ladi to Federal University of Science and Technology, Barkin-Ladi.
On record, I participated fully in confirming all Plateau State indigenes who have been given Federal appointments.
Yes, barely four (4) months ago, I was privileged to be made the Chairman, Senate Committee on Tourism. While assessing the agencies under me, a month later I discovered a sinister plot by some people to take over a chunk of land belonging to Museums of Traditional Nigerian Architecture, MOTNA, Jos, for their personal use. We ensured that that evil plot did not work.
It is my honor and privileged to inform you that I am a member of the following Committees: Appropriation, Army, Transport, Marine, Works, Police, Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Petroleum Upstream, Petroleum Downstream, Finance, Establishment, Housing, Health, Communications, FCT and Area Councils Administration, Constitution Review Committee
Honestly, I have participated in only the 2024 supplementary budget which terminates 31st December, 2025 and the 2025 full budget will start this January and ends in March 2026. The 2026 budget will take effect from April 2026.
At this juncture, I want to encourage our people that there are better days ahead. May God secure our Land and give us the courage to pursue the good of the people at all times. As for me, God brought me for a purpose and I am determined to fulfil that to the benefit of the people of Plateau North and to the greater glory of His Name, Amen.
