Gov Lalong Speaks On His ‘Problems’ With Tallen

By Editor

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State has frontally addressed claims of bickering between him and the minister of women affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen and asked her not to listen to speculations of his bad intentions against her.

Governor Lalong spoke at a reception for Mrs. Tallen in Abuja on Wednesday night following her inauguration as a minister.

His claim follows rife speculations that the governor was opposed to her emergence as a minister and was sulking on account of that.

Even more it is alleged that she was not one of the three nominees allegedly proposed as minister by the governor. The governor had reportedly backed the incumbent Senator Ignatius Longjan in the Plateau South Senatorial primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC against the aspiration of Mrs. Tallen for the ticket in the 2018 primaries.

It is further claimed that the governor’s bid was to ensure that in 2023 when he finishes his second term he takes over the seat from Senator Longjan who is presently in his seventies.

It is also a general tale on the plateau that Mrs. Tallen is still interested in the 2023 Senate seat, a development that has pitched his camp and that of Mrs. Tallen, a former deputy governor of the state and now a two term minister.

But debunking the insinuations of bad blood between the two of them, Governor Lalong speaking at the inauguration party for Mrs. Tallen said:

“You should not listen to gossip from people who don’t mean well for Plateau. There are people who would sow seeds of discord between me and the minister for their selfish gains. Don’t listen to them.”

“Today, you are a minister; Idris Maje is Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives. Others are members of the National Assembly and I am the governor.

“Respect everybody’s position; let’s work together and Plateau will be better for it.

“You need the governor as a minister to succeed and the governor needs you as minister to succeed.

“If I need to do something in Abuja, I will just call you and it will be done,” the governor said as he affirmed that he had nothing against Mrs. Tallen and would continue to respect President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to appoint her as minister.

Besides Mrs. Tallen, the governor the deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Maje was also present at the inauguration party and stretched out his hand of fellowship to both the governor and the minister.

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