Report reaching us has it that the Plateau State governor
Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong is lobbying members of the Plateau State House of
Assembly to extend tenure of the current management committee members of the 17
local governments in Plateau State.
BY UDANTE UGANTE
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| Governor Lalong of Plateau State |
A reliable source informed this magazine that the recent
development is to satisfy the interest of prominent people in the state,
including a serving senator, who are said to have been benefiting from the
management committee chairmen of the Local Governments to the detriment of the
masses at the grass roots, who have complained bitterly that the performances
of almost all the management committee chairmen was be below average.
The current management committee chairmen are also alleged
to be the worst in performance since the creation of Plateau State, a
development that has prompted protests in form of petitions written by
indigenes of various Local Government Areas to the House of Assembly. Their
grievances with regard to low, or non-performance, have caused them to urge the
house not to extend the tenures of the committee chairmen. However, such
complains had fallen on deaf ears prompting observers to accuse the house of
insensitivity and compromise. The house came under severe criticism when in
December 2016, all its members voted for yet another extension of the
management committee members for another six months as against the usual three
months. Members of the house were even accused of receiving bribe for the
extension.
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| LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILS IN PLATEAU STATE |
This allegation was however vehemently denied by the Speaker
of the House Rt Hon Peter Azi. Hon. Azi also denied the lobbying allegation for
extension of tenure by the Governor Lalong. Speaking with our Chief Editor on
phone, Azi said that the house has always performed its functions in line with
its mandate, also taking into account the wishes of the electorate.
Over time, the State Chairman of the All Progressive
Congress (APC) Hon Latep Dabang has been accused also of being responsible for
the management committee’s stay in office for two years for his personal gains.
All efforts to reach Hon Dabang on this issue proved abortive even as phone
calls through his cell phone also went unanswered.
Lalong shocked observers a few months after being sworn in
as Governor of the state when he made a sudden u-turn and sacked the
democratically elected chairmen and councilors against his earlier policy
statement made on assumption of duty. Lalong was quoted to have declared that
he would retain democratic structures left behind by his predecessor. This
decision by Governor Lalong to remove constitutionally elected Chairmen had received
condemnation from political observers and legal practitioners who described
Lalong’s action as a flagrant abuse of the constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
It has been stated times without number that Local Government
Councils, as a third tier of government, are recognized constitutionally and
should therefore enjoy equal freedom like the State and Federal Governments.
However, in flagrant disregard of the provision of section
7(i) of the 1999 constitution as amended, which stipulates that local
governments must be administered by elected officials, most of the Governors in
connivance with their State Houses of assembly have continued to run the Councils
with their hand-picked care-taker committees. Also, apart from appointing and
firing council chairmen at will, the governors have been accused repeatedly of
fiddling with funds meant for local councils in the states.
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