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| Dr. Fabong Jemchang Yildam, Chairman Plateau Youth Council |
PYC and vote of no confidence: You don't have such powers, it is
the CWC. Yours is a ploy to scuttle transition-Fabong tells conspirators.
By Joseph A. Adudu
January 18, 2020.
The Chairman of
Plateau State Youth Council, Dr. Fabong Jemchang Yildam has described as
spurious and malicious the allegations levelled against him by some EXCO
members of the Council adding that it was an attempt at character defamation,
humidly concocted. Speaking to journalists in his office on Saturday, the
chairman however said that he was not surprise considering the desperation of
some youths for power and conspiracies in several places, also taken into
cognizance that the General Elections to ushered in new EXCO was at hand and
some attention seekers doing the bidding of their paymasters in order to
distract the youths. "The said letter passing a vote of no confidence in
the chairman of the Youth Council begs so many questions as to the motive,
intent and spirit behind the malicious machinations. It's simply a ploy of
desperate, anxious and ignorant who will stop at nothing to create a disquiet
in the youth constituency and scuttle a peaceful transition", said Fabong.
The chairman
further described as appalling the subversion of the constitution of the Youth
Council by misquoting it by the supposed custodians of the same supreme
document. According to him, Article XIV of the constitution has nothing
to do with a passage of no confidence on any officer of the council but
highlights offences and what constitute misdemeanor by any officer of the
council. He said that the article further states the range of punishment
depending on the gravity of a matter. " Only the Central Working
Committee of the Council has the powers to pass a vote of no confidence on any
officer and have him removed from office subject to a failure to overturn same
in an appeal at the General Assembly ", said the chairman.
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| Dr. Fabong |
He said
that he has sworn an oath of allegiance to the constitution stressing that to
the best of his ability, he has not flaunted same in any way. " In the
first instance, any complaint should first go to the Central Working Committee
from where any officer that violates the constitution shall be summoned. The
said communication dated 26th August 2018 is not known to the chairman. A
petition or whatever letter of complaints should be copied to the chairman,
which was not and as such, I take that as a cheap blackmail and mere market
place gossips", said the chairman.
Dr. Fabong said
that the agenda of the group was summarized by their allegation that bothered
on the abuse of office through high handedness and public misconduct that has
brought the council to ridicule wondering why it was never reported or brought
to the attention of the Central Working Committee (CWC) that is primarily saddled
with the responsibility of setting up a disciplinary committee to look into
issues but coming after two years eight months and barely three months to the
end of his administration.
Making
clarifications on the allegations, the chairman made it categorically clear
that the Plateau state Youth Council does not have any allocation or subvention
to run. "It's simply a pressure group with the sole intent of liberating
the teaming youths on the Plateau", he said. Dr. Fabong also described as
baseless the claim of non adherence to the council's constitution by taking
unilateral decisions without the EXCO members. "There is nothing of
evidence to prove same. I challenge them to present evidence. Attached are
minutes of EXCO meetings and attendance duly signed by the same who have misled
the public by the libelous publication making the rounds on the media.. There
is no decision taken anywhere without the approval of the EXCO. Attached also
are applications made by them seeking approval for travels, projects and running
cost of their respective offices to clear the deliberate confusion being
created".
He added that he
had all approvals from EXCO and CWC for expenditures above the spending limit
of his office which is fifty thousand naira and same was presented and accepted
by the General Assembly on August 29, 2018 stressing that the report was with
the Audit Committee set up by the General Assembly which is the highest
decision-making body of the council.
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| Dr. Fabong, PYC Chairman |
The chairman
further stated that it was concoction shrouded in falsehood the allegation of
direct collection of money and other items on behalf of the council without
proper accountability to EXCO, dishonesty in disclosing information on
opportunities, slots and items given to the council as well as employing
personal aides to run the council. According to him, “first, let it be known
that the Financial Secretary of the council is not a resident of Jos. In the
EXCO meeting dated 03/08/2017, after series of absenteeism by the Financial
Secretary, he appealed to the chairman and Treasure to accept monies in his
place on behalf of the council since he is far and can't make it to Jos as may
be required.
“The EXCO
ratified same and the Treasure has been saddled with the responsibility of
collecting money on behalf of the council. The Financial Secretary has all the
receipts and payment vouchers of the council in his possession.
“A better
question would be, how has he administered the office. Again, the chairman and
the EXCO would need further clarification from the Financial Secretary
when he performed the Holy Pilgrimage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as given
to him by the EXCO and when he returned to Nigeria".
The PYC chairman
emphasized that all decisions on allocation of opportunities, slots and given
to the council was taken at EXCO meetings adding that the last EXCO meeting
held on December 23, 2019 was an expanded one with the principal officers of
the CWC to make decisions on the sharing of Christmas package. He said that a
communication was sent and duly was duly acknowledged by the same EXCO on
January 14, 2020 for a meeting by 3pm on January 15, 2020 but none of the
signatories attended the meeting only to be ambushed by the letter of vote of
no confidence..
The Youth
Chairman said that the allegation of
failure to summon an EXCO meeting for a period of six months was even more
confusing. "Even at that, Article IX proviso 5b stated that emergency
meetings of the EXCO shall be convened at the directive of the Chairman or at
the request of a simple majority of the EXCO.
“The Chairman
will be right to also state that the so-called majority failed in its
responsibility as well, as another conspiracy to create confusion", Fabong
said.
He believed the
CWC will clear the air on this. “Could this also mean a vote of no confidence
on the other EXCO members who were not invited? How many times have they
reported the Chairman to the CWC? Are there evidences to their claims? If they
can summoned an EXCO meeting, how comes they did not call one in six
months?", he asked rhetorically.
He said
it was a shame that the Secretary of the Council cannot write a memo, takes
minutes or write reports, adding that to the dismay of the EXCO at a certain
time, she forged a letterhead in connivance with the Public Relations Officer
and wrote a mail to the Office of the Governor through the Chief of Staff,
Government House in September, 2017. Consequent upon this, he said the EXCO
took the decision to suspend the Secretary and withhold any document of the
Council from the duo since they have exhibited a lack of oath of secrecy which
contravenes the constitutional provision of the Council.
The deputy
Chairman is also said to have represented the Chairman in meetings within and
outside the state as evidenced by communication. The Chairman however said that
in his quest for power, the deputy Chairman meddled himself in activities that
brought shame upon himself and his associates. “The Chairman has never seen a
more power drunk fellow, who has forgotten that even if the Chairman were
impeach, only a bye election can fill the vacant seat.
“ If the Chairman
had singlehandedly managed slots, the CWC may wish to ask the Deputy Chairman
how he secured a job with the ITF and also went on Holy Pilgrimage in Israel in
2017.
“If the Deputy
Chairman claimed he was never given a task, who then is Chairman of the Plateau
Youth Council Development and Investment Team? Who registered the Plateau State
Central multipurpose Cooperative Society? Who represented the Council at the
Committee set by the All Farmers Association of Nigeria?
“In what capacity
did he read a doctored press release at an international press conference of
the Council on June 26th, 2018? How did he lead youths to various programmes
within the state?”
The Council
Chairman further made it clear that in most instances, Zonal Coordinators
represent the Chairman at functions when the Chairman is occupied adding that
the claim of using family members and friends was even more embarrassing and
further challenged them to bring evidence before the CWC in that regard or
better explain how they misused slots meant for youths in their constituencies
on family members. "They should quote where in the constitution of the
Council that forbids the Chairman from having personal aides. The Chairman
doesn't pay his aides from the Council's purse and since the Secretary and PRO
have demonstrated gross incompetence, it will only be right for the Chairman to
allow his aides who are also members of the Youth Council to assist where
necessary", he said.
Dr. Fabong
further said that the CWC may wish to also ask the Auditor of the Council for
his books. "If he claimed also that the Chairman had held the documents
and communications, where is the acknowledged copy of his request for any
document? Has he also reported to the CWC of his predicament?
“The Auditor may
also wish to tell the Youths of Plateau State how he made it to Israel on Holy
Pilgrimage in 2017 since the Chairman will manage slots given to the council
alone", the PYC Chairman said.
Fabong said that
the Assistant Secretary of the Council has also been conspicuously absent ever
since he took the job of managing Plateau United Football Team as a nurse in
late 2017 while the Director of Socials has been consistent and also took
minutes of several meetings and was made a committee in most instances as
evidenced in minutes of meetings and attendance.
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| Dr. Fabong |
The Chairman
expressed dismay at what he described as the most unfortunate display of
desperation and lack of patriotism and to say that all these events had been
ongoing for almost three years unchallenged simply shows a display of irresponsibility
and nonchalance. "That the Chairman of the Council had held eight members
of the EXCO to ransom is unbelievable. And that barely three most months to the
General Election is when these conspirators are making these baseless
accusations is worrisome", the Chairman stated.
He said he
couldn't help but felt for what he called illogical presentation by members of
EXCO who instead of making known their grievances at a meeting have taken to
the streets to wash their dirty linens. "Agreed the Chairman of the
Council had done everything possible to discourage cooperate begging and
attempts to disrupt the peace in the state for material gains seems to be the
motive fueling this agenda", he said.
The Chairman
prayed that the CWC summoned members of the EXCO who signed and circulated the
letter of blackmail which he said was capable of tarnishing his hard earned
reputation to explain to it why they violated the constitution by by-passing
the CWC and pronouncing judgment on an official of the Council without trial;
explain why they quoted the constitution out of context thereby misleading the
unassuming youths and the general public which is a recipe for disquiet given
the fact that it can stir tension in the state, that the said letter was
libelous and subversive which constitute an offence as written in the
constitution Article XIV Proviso 2(a) and (2e) and that same be retracted
within 24 hours, failure of which the Chairman would seek legal redress, that
the said EXCO members be met to face a disciplinary action and possibly
sanctioned in accordance with the provision of the constitution amongst other
prayers.
The PYC Chairman
called on Youths on the Plateau to remain calm saying that the recent development
was an antic to distract his administration from a peaceful transition. “These
jobless miscreants should be ignored by all means possible. We should not be
willing tools in the hands of desperate citizens as demonstrated by these
hoodlums, and allow the CWC to do its work", the Chairman said.
He further called
on the leadership of the Larger House to look into the matter and help guide
the teaming youths on the Plateau towards a peaceful transition as they have
always done.
Dr Fabong stated
that the Youth Council under his leadership has grown beyond local borders.
"We have facilitated the training of more than thirteen thousand youths
across the 17 Local Government Areas in various trades, we have created small
and medium enterprises, organized high power workshops and seminars, created a
website and built a youth data bank, organized a General Assembly which is
first in 16 years, organized mentorship programmes for youths, kept a peaceful
milieu and have encouraged responsible citizenship through fighting of substance
abuse amongst others" he said.
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