Senator Diket Plang has clarified his legislative role in the revival of the stalled Akwanga–Jos–Gombe dualization project and the establishment bill for a Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Kanke, insisting that both initiatives followed due process and were not sudden developments. He also dismissed suggestions that legislators were claiming credit for unfinished processes, saying, “Nobody should say it came from the blues.”
Speaking to journalists at his residence in Jos, the Senator explained that the Akwanga–Jos–Gombe dualization was first awarded in 2018 under former President Muhammadu Buhari through a foreign-financing arrangement that later collapsed. “The road was awarded at one billion dollars at a rate of ₦333 per dollar, totaling ₦333 billion,” he said. “When the deal collapsed and the exchange rate rose to over ₦1,500 per dollar, the cost shot above ₦1.3 trillion, making it impossible to fund from the ministry’s annual budget.”
Plang said he moved a motion for the road to be included among President Bola Tinubu’s national legacy projects, arguing that North Central and North East corridors had long suffered neglect. “North Central and the North East were not on the federal map for major road or rail investments. We demanded inclusion, and the Senate agreed,” he stated.
On the Federal Medical Center Kanke Bill, Plang said his proposal passed second reading before being merged with similar requests. “There were several bills for federal medical centers. The Senate leadership consolidated them so we don’t repeal the law today for one, and repeal it tomorrow for another,” he explained. “The FMC Kanke bill is properly sponsored by me and has gone through the necessary readings.”
He added that the Kanke facility would bridge major healthcare gaps in Plateau Central and surrounding states. “If the Federal Medical Center is established in Kanke, it will go a long way to solve most of our medical issues,” he said.
Plang urged constituents to monitor and support the process rather than downplay it. “Clap for us when we do it, and encourage us to do more,” he said.
