The crowd stirred with anticipation as Governor Caleb Mutfwang stepped up to commission the newly constructed Jos Metropolitan Development Board, JMDB Market, at Bukuru, Jos South local government area which is a complex of shops, stalls, warehouses, and open spaces designed to host more thousands of traders.
What unfolded at the Wednesday event was more than a ribbon-cutting. It was a rallying cry for Plateau’s unity. With the market as his backdrop, a place where voices of every shade meet, bargain, and compromise, the Governor drew a parallel to the State’s political and social landscape.
“I call on all Plateau sons and daughters, especially those in positions of responsibility to join hands with us. It is no longer time for division; it is time for collaboration. United, we will move Plateau forward,” he declared.
The message reiterated the administration’s desire for true reconciliation, collaboration, and a Plateau that speaks in one voice.
The Bukuru Market symbolizes that vision. Rising from the dust of abandoned trading spaces, it now stands as a hub of opportunity with 165 shops, 16 warehouses, 133 lock-up stalls, 15 kiosks, 116 stores, and a designated motor park.
To many, it represents not just commerce but dignity restored to displaced traders who once struggled to find shelter for their businesses.
Mutfwang did not mince words about his intentions as he urged, “My doors are open. My hands of fellowship are extended. Let us work together to improve the lives of our people and build a better Plateau,” appealing to politicians, institutions, and communities to put aside old rivalries because the more united citizens are, the more prosperous the State will be.
To the women who form the backbone of Plateau’s informal economy, he gave special recognition saying, “This facility must serve as a channel of hope and opportunity. The allocation of shops must prioritize displaced women, who are the economic pillars of their families.”
The Governor’s emphasis on unity was no accident. At a time when Plateau has been scarred by division and mistrust, he chose a marketplace, perhaps the most democratic of all spaces, as the stage to declare his administration’s larger political mission.
“Some have said this administration has no legacy projects,” he told the gathering. “But what is a legacy if it doesn’t leave an imprint in the hearts of the people?”
The governor re-echoed the commitment to leave a lasting legacy in the heart of the people as well as an enhanced economic empowerment.
End.