Sports Minister denies clash with Plateau governor

Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Solomon Dalung, has denied that there was a clash between his supporters and those of the Governor of Plateau state, Mr. Simon Lalon, in Shendam, Plateau state, during the Christmas break.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Nneka Anibeze, Dalung said the story was not only a media fabrication but also an attempt to generate confusion and erode confidence in the minds of the people against the current leadership.

“I read with serious concern, stories making the rounds about a purported clash between my supporters and those of the executive governor when I honoured him at a festival of Gemai ethnic group in Shendam. I was at a function with the governor and it not only went smoothly but was also very cordial. Fabricating such a story may be the handiwork of idle minds who benefit from crisis of political differences.”

The minister added that Lalong was not only a close friend but also a colleague, who, like every other governor in the present dispensation, has common challenges like paucity of funds and huge debt profiles. This, he said, had slowed down drastic change in the state.