BY PROF MIKE A. A. OZEKHOME, SAN, CON, OFR, FCIArb, LL.D.
PROLOGUE
THE BIRTH OF A WARRIOR
In the quiet hills of Du,in the quiet surburbs of Plateau State, a child was born on the 13th of March, 1944. On this day in 2025, that young boy turned 81.The winds of destiny had blown softly that morning, carrying with them the whispers of unannounced greatness. Little did the world know that this little baby, a retired German,US and Nigerian-trained Air Commodore and former Military Governor of old Benue and Gongola states ( the latter now Adamawa and Tarsba state),Sen Jonah David Jang, CON,would one day carve his name in the annals of Nigerian history. He did so not just as a soldier; not just as a governor; not just as a pilot and Airforce officer; not just as a Senator;but also as a towering figure whose life truly exemplifies the true testament of character, honour, resilience, courage and divine purpose.
From an early age, Jonah Jang was not like other children. There was a spark in his little eyes, a quiet but unmistakable determination that spoke of something greater than the ordinary. He was not one to simply watch life unfold before him.He had a smouldering fire, a hunger, an insatiable desire to make an impact on the society.
Raised in a rural land where tradition met with the harsh realities of modernity and survival, Jang quickly learnt that life was nothing but a battlefield and that only those with an unyielding spirit and unflagging determination could emerge victorious.
Jang’s faith was his compass; his discipline his armour; and his patriotic zeal his drive.His destiny though not yet revealed by then, was already being woven into the very fabric of his being.
So when the military came calling, Senator Jang like an eagle drawn to the winds, hugged it and fiercely soared. Trained in West Germany,the Nigerian Defence Academy and the United States, Governor Jang was not just another recruit; he was a moving force to be reckoned with. His time in the Nigerian Air Force shaped him into the warrior he was meant to be. Rising through the ranks to Wing Commander, he mastered the skies, not just as a pilot, but as a leader of men and material, a strategist and a man who understood that power was a responsibility and nit just an ornamental privilege.
FROM THE MILITARY TO THE POLITICAL FIELD
Fate is hardly ever predictable. Destiny always remains wrapped in the belly of mother nature. Jang did not know he had been born to do more than merely serve in uniform. His mission was not yet complete. The battlefield had shifted from the skies of war and bombs to the slippery battlefield of governance. So, like a general stepping into unfamiliar terrain, he gingerly took his first tender steps into politics, a new world where wars were fought not with weapons and brute force, but with conversation, consultation, wisdom, willpower and an unwavering resolve to manage challenges of betrayal, perfidy, duplicity and treachery.
THE GOVERNOR WHO DARED TO DREAM
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” – Proverbs 29:18.
Leadership is not for the faint-hearted, and politics, especially in Nigeria, is not for the weak and cowardly. Jonah Jang soon learnt this when he became a two-term Governor of Plateau State between 2007 and 2015. He did not take the seat as an imperious ruler; he took it as a servant of the people.For him, leadership was a calling, a sacred duty to restore dignity, to uplift the downtrodden and to leave behind a legacy that would stand the test of time.
Plateau State, beautiful as it was, had its peculiar challenging struggles. Roads were broken; infrastructure was failing,; ethnic tensions were high; insecurity strut about proudly like a peacock; and corruption lurked in the shadows. Many would have buckled under the weight of such monumental challenges. But not Jang. He had been trained to face turbulence, both in the skies and on the ground. Thus, he began his mission of uncommon transformation.
Under his leadership, trust returned to governance.Roads were built; security was enhanced and strengthened; the youths were engaged; ghost workers were flushed out; and the social,economic, education and agricultural sectors witnessed an unforgettable revival. But beyond the tangible projects, Jang gave Plateau something greater; he gave them hope. He made the people realize they could not only dream, but could realize such dreams. He was ans still is,a father to the state. Jang was a leader who did not rule from a distance but stood with the people;fought for them and defended them.
His leadership was tested time and again. Political adversaries fought him; critics doubted and demonized him. At times, the very foundations of governance in the state seemed violently shaken. But Jang stood firm and soldered on like a lion among men, unbowed, unshaken. Afterall he had not sought power for personal gain or self-aggrandizement. He wielded power,not as a sword to represss,but as shield for the defence of his beloved people. He deployed power as a tool for achieving justice, development and the greater good of his Plateau people.
Through storms of criticism,back-stabbing and seasons of triumph, he never lost sight of his mission-develop the people. And when his tenure ended in 2015, he did not look back with regret, but with the quiet satisfaction of a man who had given his all.
He left Plateau State better than he met it.It was never the same rustic and undeveloped state he had met when he first took office. It had risen from its ashes like phoenix; it had transformed beyond arguments.Plateau had become a beacon and haven of peace, hope, tranquility, progress,development and humanity.
A NAME ETCHED IN TIME
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” – 2 Timothy 4:7
After leaving office as Governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang could have chosen to retreat into the shadows, to live the rest of his days in peace and quietude as many would. But warriors never truly retire. They merely retreat and remain ever watchful, ever ready to serve. So,in 2015, he was called upon once more by his Plateau North people to represent them at the Nigerian Senate. Afterall the reward for hardwork is more work. Baba Jonah proved it.
His tenure in the Senate was not merely about adding another title to his name; it was about continuing his set mission, fighting for the people; standing for justice and their dignity. He ensured that the legacy he had built would never be undone.
THE PERSECUTION,TRIALS, TRIBULATIONS
No great leader ever walks mother earth without facing trials,persecution and tribulations. False allegations waltzed in,flying like ominous bats.Challenges suddenly arose, with the full weight of political warfare threatening to stain the banner of his legacy. He was falsely accused of pilfering his state funds. This was when we met. He briefed me to represent him in the 17 count charge before the Plateau State High Court. Studying the charge and the ingredients, his innocence exuded; his integrity and character nakedly stared me in the face. For a spartan man of modest means who ruled transparently and who as a sitting Governor took a well-documented loan of only 100m which he was paying back by installments from his meagre salary and allowances as a sitting Governor; and which loan he finally repaid fully as a Senator,it simply did not add up that he could steal from the state treasury of his people that he so loved and who reciprocated in equal measure.So, I defended him ferociously with my team of lawyers for over four years ( May 4,2018-September 2,2022). He had told me that he was innocent; that some powers that be had obviously felt that he had achieved too much to be allowed to walk away as a distinguished elderstatesman and as clean as a whistle. But he had always been these. And more He narrated to me how these powerful people were determined to completely erase his legacy and make him irrelevant in the political equation and scheme of affairs in Plateau State.In the dock, Jang stood tall,notwithstanding his diminutive stature.He watched witness after witness lie against him in a most brazen manner.He severally shook his head in utter disbelief and incredulity.But he did not cry.It was my bounden duty as his lawyer to chisel through and perforate the tissue and cocktail of poisoned lies.And I did just that.A smiling Baba Jang was completely exonerated,discharged and acquitted of all 17 counts. He emerged victorious once more, proving that truth,though slow, and integrity though temporarily besmeared,always triumphed in the end over swift lies.
Now, as he stands tall in the threshold of history and in the pantheon of great men,Jonah Jang is not just a retired soldier,Senator, Administrator or former governor,he is indeed a symbol of love, character, integrity, honour, dignity and resilience. Jang remains a loud testament to undiluted faith and a clear reminder that true leadership is about service, sacrifice and unwavering commitment to the people.
Thus on his 81st birthday,we do not merely celebrate another year of his life; we celebrate a legacy, a person that has touched lives, changed the course of a state and inspired a generation.
Jonah David Jang is not just a man; he is a movement. His story is not just one of politics, but of destiny, determination, and divine orchestration. Like his namesake David in the Bible, he has been for his people, an uncommon caregiver and a protector,in the same way a mother hen protects her chicks. His life like that of the Biblical David demonstrates that God can take a person from a humble position and elevate him to greatness. O yes,I almost forgot Jang is also Jonah.Like the biblical Jonah,he weathered the storms, survived in the belly of the whale and lives to spread the message of hope,prosperity,love and humanity,not to the Ninevites this time,but to his good people of Plateau State.
DEAWING THE CURTAINS
To His Excellency, Governor,Senator, Air Commodore (rtd) Jonah David Jang, CON, may history forever remember your name and judge you fairly. May your legacy continue to inspire and water generations yet unborn. May your story be told not just as a tale of leadership, but as a beacon of hope for those who dared to dream dreams, fight wars,serve the people and conquer.l adversities.
Happy birthday sir.
