Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang presented brand new Exceed VX sport‑utility vehicles to first‑class traditional rulers to mark his 61st birthday, amid unheeded calls from some communities for the government to accord priority to basic social infrastructure, such as school buildings.
The state government disclosed the vehicle presentation in a statement issued on Thursday by Gyang Bere, Director of Press and Public Affairs to the governor.
Mr Bere said the SUVs were given to members of the Plateau State Council of Chiefs and Emirs to enhance their mobility and underscore the role of traditional institutions in local governance.
According to the statement, the event at the Old Government House in Rayfield, Jos, was part of activities marking the governor’s birthday.
Exeed VX is a premium SUV manufactured by Chery Automobile, a major Chinese automaker.
What was done and why
Governor Mutfwang described traditional rulers as part of the critical leadership structure of modern society. He said the gift was conceived in collaboration with the 17 local government councils.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that our traditional rulers have become part of the critical leadership structure of modern society,” the governor was quoted as saying. He noted that the presentation represented the first phase of broader efforts to improve chiefs’ welfare, and that arrangements were being made to establish a dedicated maintenance facility for the vehicles at a mechanical workshop the government plans to revive.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ephraim Usman, said the gesture reflected the administration’s commitment to repositioning traditional institutions. He pointed to progress in resolving long‑standing chieftaincy matters, filling vacant stools and selecting district and village heads with minimal litigation.
Jacob Gyang, chairperson of the Plateau State Council of Chiefs and Emirs, thanked the governor for the recognition, urging further attention to the welfare of all traditional rulers and quicker resolution of vacancies.
Costs and scrutiny
Listings for Exeed models on the automotive price tracker show an approximate Nigerian price of about N51 million for an Exeed VX.
Using that figure as a rough benchmark, 17 such vehicles cost slightly over N870 million.
A resident who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES, but asked not to be named for fear of being targeted, questioned the spending priority.
“If you look at the cost of just one of those vehicles, that money can build a proper school for this community,” the resident said. “Our children are learning inside mud huts. Now the rainy season is setting in, and those structures cannot withstand the rain. The children will struggle to learn in those conditions.”
Recently, a community leader in Langtang South, Vincent Bulus, appealed for the construction of a primary school in Tanbol Sabongida Ward. Mr Bulus described how children were forced to walk long distances and how the community attempted to build temporary classrooms from mud.
A photo shared with PREMIUM TIMES shows residents of Tanbol Sabongida Ward in Langtang South Local Government Area working together to expand learning space at the Tanbol Sabongida Community Primary School, where pupils currently rely on makeshift mud classrooms.
In the image, several men are seen moulding and stacking mud to construct a round hut that will serve as a classroom, while women fetch and pour water used to mix the mud, a traditional building method in many rural communities. Children and other villagers stand nearby observing the work.
Another resident who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES, but asked not to be named for fear of being targeted, said the school currently has only one classroom block, forcing the community to improvise learning spaces for the children.
“The school is already in bad shape. There are no proper desks for the pupils, and the classroom cannot contain all the children,” the resident said. “That is why the community decided to mould mud and build round huts so the children can at least have a place to sit and learn.”
Broader context
Plateau State’s 2026 budget sets total expenditure at N917.91 billion, with allocations guided by the Plateau State Strategic Development Framework (PSDF) across three main pillars: Peace, Security, and Good Governance; Sustainable Economic Rebirth; and Physical Infrastructure Development.
Within this framework, the education sector was allocated N91.30 billion, making it the third-largest budget item after Water, Sanitation, and Energy (N107.08 billion) and Works and Transport (N92.71 billion). Health received N88.36 billion, while Agriculture and Rural Development received N48.01 billion.
The budget is expected to be financed through recurrent revenue (N443.11 billion), capital development funds (N311.89 billion), and external aids and grants (N62.51 billion).
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The education allocation aims to cover all levels of the sector, from primary to tertiary education, though the breakdowns have not yet been published.
Compared with UNESCO’s recommendation of 15–20 per cent of public expenditure, the N91.30 billion represents roughly 10 per cent of the total budget, suggesting that the education sector is not given adequate attention in line with international investment standards.
Critics say meeting the standards requires Nigerian authorities to stop extravaganzas and commit state resources to addressing people’s most important needs.