President Goodluck Jonathan has swiftly moved to placate Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang over his failure to appoint an indigene of the state as the new Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) as earlier promised the governor, who is his key ally.

Jonathan had in a last-minute change of mind given the post to Dr. Dikko Suleiman of Katsina State for a period of four years with effect from last Tuesday, November 19.

News Express had on Saturday exclusively reported the deep sense of disappointment that descended on the Plateau State Government House following that development, with Jang complaining to confidants that he felt betrayed.

Latest information reaching News Express has it that President Jonathan later on Saturday sent the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, to Jos, the Plateau State capital, to explain things to Jang and seek his understanding.

“Anyim came to Jos on a peace mission on Saturday; he came on behalf of the President to plead with Jang to understand why he did what he did,” a reliable sources at the Government House told News Express.

The source said that Anyim explained that the plum UBEC post had to go to Katsina for the sake of justice and fair play. “He explained that Plateau has its people as heads of the National Film & Video Censors Board, Film Corporation and Immigration, while Katisna, which used to have Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), has since lost out, hence the need to compensate it with the UBEC job,” the source said.

News Express learnt that Plateau has been offered the post of UBEC Executive Secretary Technical and Jang told to nominate a capable person for the position.

•Photo shows Anyim.