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| Hon Aminu Zang (middle) flanked by other members of the Forum |
By Lovins Yakubu
October 07, 2019.
The Forum of Chairmanship and Councillorship candidates under the
platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jos North, Jos South, Riyom
and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau state has called on members
of the Plateau State House of Assembly to stop renewing tenure of Management
Committee Members in the said Local Government Areas.
Addressing members of the press in Jos on Monday, Hon. Aminu Zang,
the PDP Chairmanship candidate, Jos North Local Government, who read the text
on behalf of other members of the forum expressed dismay over PLASIEC' s
decision not to conduct election in the mentioned Local Government Areas
despite Government's claim of restoring peace to the state.
" The forum of the Chairmanship and councillorship candidates
under the platform of the peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing the good
people of Jos North, Jos South, Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local Government Areas
are for the umpteenth time expressing our dismay and disappointment over the
failure by the Plateau State Government and PLASIEC to conduct elections in the
four Local Government Areas."
The forum observed that the said development was unfortunate
taking into account that the Local Government is the third tier of Government
constitutionally created to serve legislative and executive functions at that
level stressing that it was the bastion of grassroots development touching on
the lives of its constituents as the veritable tool closest to them.
The forum recalled with
nostalgia how the state government through PLASIEC set- in motion the process
for the conduct of elections to the various offices hitherto vacant which
commenced with pomp and pageantry with political parties in turn conducting
primary elections culminating into the emergence of candidates in most cases
after tortuous campaigns. “PLASIEC now screened the candidates and were made to
pay various mandatory administrative fees as condition for eligibility.
Particularly note of the requirement for the withdrawal of service of persons
working from their places of work and vacation must be stated here. This
singular condition estranged such persons from their means of livelihood".
The forum stated that the long awaited elections were then
conducted on the 10 October, 2018 but only in 13 of the 17 local government
council areas excluding the four mentioned local government areas adducing
security reasons. " Ladies and gentlemen of the press, the reason adduced
appear curious as at the time of the election, relative peace had returned to these
areas as against some more volatile areas.
“We are thus, tempted to think there are other reasons informing
the position as against what was being bandied. We are living witnesses to the
demilitarization of our towns and cities by the dismantling of check points and
roadblocks without any negative consequences. Further, Government's statements
and claims to the return of peace as would have been evidenced by the hosting
of carnivals and the like require no further proof."
The forum further observed that by refusing to conduct election,
the inalienable rights and desires of the peace loving citizens of the
respective local government areas to their choices as enshrined in the 1999
constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) was being flagrantly
violated. It added that the setting up of interim management committees to
manage the said local governments is an aberration and ought to have no place
democratic of Nigeria. " Our people are disenfranchised and deprived of
the equitable distribution of the dividends of democracy.
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| Cross section of journalists during the briefing |
“The managers of the interim contraption did not promise anything
to anybody hence the seeming non char lance and want of obligation to deliver.
It is on account of the forgoing that we are calling on his excellency the
Governor and Government through its agency PLASIEC to as a matter of urgency
consider conducting transparently free and fair elections into the remaining
four Local Government Areas."
The forum of PDP candidates stated that
conducting the election would enable them join the league of other Local
Government on the Plateau and Nigeria at large in benefiting from the largesse
of accountable democratic dividends stressing that in other climes, steps would
have been taking to ameliorate the pain, anguish and plight of the candidates
who have suffered untold hardship after abandoning their various means of
livelihood in a bid to render service.
 flanked by other members of the Forum  Group calls on Plateau Legislators to stop renewing tenure of Manag...){kind=link}
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