by 
By Godfree Matthew
CANTON I
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His Excellency–Elect, The proud Citizens of Plateau State, heartily felicitate with you on your victory;
Your victory is a sigh of relief from their plights;
Your victory to Plateau People at a time like this could be likened to the relief of an asthma patient who survived asphyxiation;
Your victory truly reflects the mandates of the people, a product of a social contract; they have discharged their part of the bargain by electing you into power; in return you owe them reciprocity of quality leadership;
Before your mandate was DECLARED to Plateau People, the Plateau Hannibals in the likes of Da Jonah Jang, AVM Napoleon Bali, Brigadier John Sura and Hon. Latep Dabang; were steadfast and resilient to ensure that the ROMAN EMPIRE of INEC did not trample and rape the mandate of Plateau people;
The heroic efforts of these ‘MY GUYS’ should be reflected in your administration to ensure that Lives and Properties of Plateau Citizens are Secured and Protected;
In the contest that ensued your victory, you had other contestants, who shared different worldviews with you about the Plateau Dream, embrace them as partners in the Plateau Project;
Your fellow contestants had beautiful Slogans such as ‘Generation Next’ and ‘Consolidation for Greater Plateau’, but Plateau People believe that, Yes, THE TIME IS NOW!
CANTON II
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Yes! Plateau People believe that the TIME IS NOW to consolidate on the foundation of Greater Plateau laid by late J.D Gomwalk, Solomon Lar the Emancipator, and other Past and Present Heroes of Plateau State; Living and Dead;
Yes! Plateau people are nostalgic of the Old Days of Jos Main Market;
Yes! Plateau people are nostalgic of the Old Days when People from all Parts of Nigeria flocked to the Plateau for weekends and holidays;
Yes! Plateau People are nostalgic for the days when JIB and BARC farms were the talk of the Nation;
Yes! Plateau people are desirous of seeing those good Old Days where Farmland and Orchards were Green; and when village life was innocent;
Yes! Plateau Farmers are nostalgic for THOSE DAYS when PADP was a Household name and an Envy of Other States;
Yes! Plateau People believe that the TIME IS NOW to consolidate on the Greater Plateau and revive it to its glorious days;
CANTON III
---- ---- ---- ----- ----- ---- ----- --Your Excellency-Elect, GenerationNEXT is a slogan that MUST find expression in your administration because the TIME IS NOW;
‘GenerationNOW’ are victims of illiteracy, poverty, unemployment, drug-addictions, etcetera, so the TIME IS NOW to take the Youth to the Next Generation where these vices will be addressed;
GenerationNEXT is a digital generation, the TIME IS NOW to ensure that a responsible digital era on the Plateau is realized to ward-off the youth from cyber-crime;
GenerationNEXT aspires to breed Plateau State as a hub of human capital development where celebrities in sports, entertainments, sciences and technology, artificial intelligence and intellectualism are birthed; the TIME IS NOW to realize this GenerationNEXT;
GenerationNEXT aspires for a Plateau state that will be characterized with unity, love, peace and tolerance; THE TIME IS NOW to actualize this;
Your Excellency-Elect! You have inherited a Plateau where GenerationNEXT have lost their ancestral and cultural roots; the TIME IS NOW to lead them to their heritage;
Your Excellency-Elect! The Time is NOW to include GenerationNEXT in your cabinet as Commissioners and other sensitive positions in nation-building; because The TIME IS NOW for NOT TOO YOUNG TO RULE;
THE TIME IS NOW to mentor the GenerationNEXT;
CANTON IV
---- ---- ---- ----- ----- ---- ----- ---- --Your Excellency-Elect! Plateau Citizens defied cultural, ethnic, religious, and even party loyalty, to vote you as their GOVERNOR; for this you owe them the duty of altruistic leadership;
You have inherited a Plateau characterized with deep hatred, arsenic antagonism and sentiment; yet Plateau People defied these venoms to elect you as their leader; for this gesture you owe them the duty of equitable leadership;
Your Excellency-Elect! We know you are a lawyer, Plateau expect you to govern the state by the rule of law;
Your Excellency-Elect! The Common man in Plateau is far-away from access to health care and justice; as a learned colleague, The TIME IS NOW to compliment or outdo what your learned colleague, Your ‘Predecessor-in-Waiting’ has done by promoting quality health care and access to justice;
Your Excellency-Elect! Please the courtrooms in Plateau State have become relics of antiquities, dilapidated and neglected! The mention of JUSUN traumatizes lawyers and clients in Plateau State; PLATEAU BELIEVES THE TIME IS NOW to address these challenges!
Your Excellency-Elect! You were once a victim of injustice perpetrated by a fellow lawyer in power; you have tasted the venom of dictatorship; payback by governing your people in accordance with due process and rule of law;
Your- Excellency-Elect! You and your party tasted the ‘bitter garlic’ of opposition for 8 years, NOW that you are in power; listen to constructive criticisms, for sometimes you see the back of your head in the eyes of your critics;
Your Excellency-Elect! You have come into power when your Party PDP is characterized by a lot of internal rivalry! You are a child of a pastor, and I learned that the sanctuary theme for 2023, is “Seeking the Peace of the Land”; Therefore, seek for the peace of Nigeria, seek for the peace of Plateau State and seek the peace of PDP;
Your Excellency-Elect! Some pundits predicted that if you have not won this election, that might have been the end of PDP on The Plateau, therefore, THE TIME IS NOW for you to be a beacon of hope and unity for the Party;
Your Excellency-Elect! In seeking for the peace of PDP court and woo all the wounded soldiers and aggrieved factions who might have left the party for one reason or the other; don’t heed to advisers who might recommend punitive measures against them; magnanimity in victory is the hall mark of politics with morality!
CANTON V
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Your Excellency-Elect! Your political traducers once referred to you as non-salary paying Chairman, NOW that you are a Governor show them ‘Level Don Change’! The TIME IS NOW!
Your Excellency-Elect! Our aged parents in civil services and those that retired have not been paid their salaries and entitlements! Some have gone to their graves in sorrow and might have cursed the State in their hearts! Please in the name of God pay them their dues! The TIME IS NOW!
While Your Predecessor-in-waiting started as Governor-alert, alleviating the plight of Civil servants, he later backslid ended in an alarming situation with them! The TIME IS NOW to make the difference!
Your Excellency-Elect! Our once cleaned and orderly Jos Town is one of the Dirtiest and most Disorderly Town in Northern Nigeria! THE TIME IS NOW to make the difference!
CANTON VI
---- ---- ---- ----- ----- ---- ----- ---- --YOUR EXCELLENCY-ELECT! As Plateau Congratulates You, You are further CAUTIONED to note that it is not in all situations that THE TIME IS NOW!
Oh No! The TIME IS NOT NOW to promote Ethnic Nationalism; BUT THE TIME IS NOW to promote collective Plateau Patriotism!
Oh No! The TIME IS NOT NOW for spending precious administrative time and state resources in pursuing vendetta against political opponents; BUT the TIME IS NOW to deploy state resources in fighting Plateau Agenda;
Oh No! The TIME IS NOT NOW to heed to those who will tell you go after so and so person; You are a Governor and not EFCC ; Don’t make your Friends’ enemies your enemies, or else you will be fighting proxy battles;
Oh No! The TIME IS NOT NOW to have an Army of Advisers and other offices that are redundant as political compensation; but the TIME IS NOW to create a conducive business environment that will facilitate self-employment and job creation in the state;
Oh No! The TIME IS NOT NOW to trust the verdict of your loyalist at all times; but compare that with the popular criticism on the street too; for palace rumours could be a prelude to coup d’ etat!
Oh No! The TIME IS NOT NOW to indulge in the Pleasures of the Palace that is serenaded by sycophants’; But the TIME IS NOW to visit and send spies to scout the streets and ghettos of Plateau and identify with the condition of your people!
Oh No! The TIME IS NOT NOW to fight your mentors’ enemies using state privileges and resources; BUT the TIME IS NOW to continue with the good legacies of your mentors;
Oh No! The TIME IS NOT NOW to have the Mafioso of MUTFWANG BOYS, as did your Predecessors;
Oh No! The TIME IS NOT NOW! To hear the cliché ‘previous administration’; we have endured that negative phrase for 8 years! Your media team should come up with a new phrase in referring to the former regime!
THE TIME IS NOT NOW to give Plateau excuses for non-performance on the pretext of ‘previous administration’. That phrase ‘previous administration’ has been used to defraud Plateau People and Nigerians much more than ‘Fadama’ and ‘MMM.’
CANTON VII
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Lastly, YOUR EXCELLENCY-ELECT should remember this:
The Day Your victory was announced by INEC, Students, Marketers, Teachers, Civil servants, Journalists, Party members and Citizens from all walks of life were united in rejoicing with you; dancing on the streets and leaping with joy;
BUT remember that when you assume office, these same classes of people will replay this frenzy in form of strikes, demonstrations, agitations and other forms of protests against your government; In all this, remember that you were once their hero before things turned sour; Treat Them with Respect and Dignity;
Best wishes, His Excellency-Elect!
May Plateau Prosper Under You!
God Bless Plateau State!
