Gov. Lalong of Plateau State
SWEARING
IN OF PLATEAU TIC CHAIRMEN AT NIGHT:
KNOCKS TRAIL LALONG’S DECISION
Saturday,
22nd July, 2017
By
Lovins Yakubu
The swearing in at 8pm yesterday of the
newly selected members of Management Committee Chairmen for the 17 Local
Government has drew the anger of some members of the All Progressive Congress
(APC).
African
Drum received information yesterday
from a source about the event and that the selected Chairmen were asked to be
accompanied with only one person to Government House, Rayfield by 3pm. However
when contacted, an official in Government House who wouldn’t want his name in
print denied knowledge of the intended exercise adding that the only official
information at his disposal was that Governor Lalong invited the newly selected
Chairmen for a meeting by 7pm.
Another source informed us that the
Chairmen were in Government House from 3pm till around 7pm when the Governor
arrived from Abuja and the swearing in exercise commenced thereafter, and
concluded at about few minutes after 8pm.
However, the decision of the Governor
has not gone down well with some party stalwarts who posited that it was borne
out of inconsideration and portends serious consequences and setbacks for the
party. According to Emmanuel Ashisan, a staunch member of the APC in Kakkek
Ward in Bassa LGA, “As a matter of fact, the action of the Governor is
condemnable. In handling party issues, you must try as much as possible to
carry majority of the people along. The exercise for the composition of the
Management Committee Members was marred with irregularities and in the end; the
wishes of the majority of the people was not prevailed. For instance, in our
case in Bassa, the name of of Mrs Sarah Bali has been imposed on us. The party stakeholders
in Bassa zoned the position of chairmanship to Rukuba chiefdom. But we have resolved to confront this issue
headlong. Nobody can impose any person on us. We are who we are and we are
conversant with our terrain. No outsider can decide for us. This kind of
attitude is what destroyed the PDP. Governor Lalong instructed that communities
should meet and bring out those who they believe can make exploit for the party
in their localities and we in Bassa have done that, only for another person
(maybe in connivance with insiders) to jettison the choice of the people of
Bassa. This is unacceptable”. He said.
In his submission, Nasiru Mohammed from
Naraguta B Ward, Jos North also expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of
the Governor who according to him, went ahead to swear in the Chairmen despite
series of petitions against most of them. “You see, the instructions of the Governor
was not adhered to. Apart from imposition, the issue of zoning or spreading of
positions was not observed in Jos North. For instance, both the Chairman and
the Secretary of the Management Committee are all from Jos North/North instead
of one position going to Jos North/West. And I want to assure you that the
majority of APC members in all the Local Governments are disenchanted with the
way and manner the exercise was conducted.” Said Nasiru.
Mathew Achadik Udabi, another member of
the APC Jenta Adamu Ward also express dissatisfaction with the decision of the
Governor stressing that the Governor behaved in such a manner that could make
one thinks that he deliberately wants to create confusion and destabilizes the
party. “Here is somebody who has been away for some days but just return and I
am sure he was briefed of the mirage of problems on ground as a result of the
exercise. So, for him to just go ahead and swear them in, leaves much to be
desired. Why the hurry? Why swear them in the night? Even Ward Councillors are
not sworn in to office like that when we all know that such events are usually
accompanied with fanfare.”
In his words, Nathaniel Nanfa from Tudun
Wada Ward said, “I am disappointed over what is happening in our party. The
party has serious internal problems. It is divided along camps and groups with
each group trying to outsmart the other which is not good. I must tell you that
there is so much division in my party, yes, we are divided, we are not united
and there lies the danger”.
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