JONAH DAVID JANG – GOVERNOR OF PLATEAU STATE
Governor Jonah David Jang of Plateau State was born on 13th March 1944 at Du in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State. He began his military training and career in 1965 when he enlisted as a Nigerian Air Force Officer Cadet at the Military Training School in Kaduna. He underwent Flying Training at Utersen in the then West Germany from 1965 to 1966 and continued his training at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna in 1969 when he was commissioned Second Lieutenant. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1970 and after a Supply Operations Training (Logistics) in Denver, United States of America, he was promoted to the rank of Captain in 1972.
In 1974, he attended a Purchase and Marketing Management (Logistics) course in the UK, and was promoted Major that year. In 1978, Jonah David Jang was promoted Wing Commander and from that year till 1979, he was on Senior Command & Staff Course at Jaji in Kaduna. He also attended a Supply Management Course (Logistics) the following year in Kaduna. His last professional course – a Senior Executive Course – was at the Royal College of Defence Studies in London in 1989, but not before he was promoted Air Commodore in 1988. From 2000 to 2002, Jonah Jang took a Bachelor of Divinity Degree at the Theological College of Northern Nigeria (2000 – 2002).
His work experiences took him through most of the air formations across the country, from Kaduna to Lagos and to Makurdi in Benue State in different capacities. During the country’s military interregnum, he also held political appointments: from 1985 to 1986, he was military governor of Benue State and from 1986 to 1988, he governed Gongola State (which has since been split into Adamawa and Taraba States). He voluntarily retired from the Nigeria Air Force in 1990.
In 2007, he contested the governorship election in his home state of Plateau under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and won. Since he was sworn in on May 29, 2007 he has introduced several measures to enhance the development of Plateau State. For example, on assumption of office, he introduced table payment for civil servants to eliminate the phenomenon of ‘ghost workers’ and conserve funds for development purposes. He has also declared a state of emergency on sanitation in Jos and the ‘tin’ city is now wearing a bright new look. There are plans to build a 60-bed hospital in each of the 17 Local Government areas in the state while the burnt Jos main market is to be converted into a city mall with restaurants, and a new market of international standard will be built to serve as warehouse.
Above all, Plateau state being a leading producer of solid minerals in the country, the state government has established the Plateau State Agency for Solid Mineral Development (PMDC). It has also appealed to the Federal Government to consider the establishment of Solid Minerals Processing and Development Commission (SOMPADEC) with headquarters in Jos.
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