Plateau LG Chairmen clash with new governor

Tamarauemi Ebimini

Local government chairmen in Plateau state have declared that the state governor, Caleb Mutfwang has no power to suspend them from office. The state governor had on Thursday announced the suspension of all the 17 local government chairmen claiming the inability to submit accounts for their expenditures. But in a swift reaction on Friday, the council chairmen rejected the suspension saying the governor lacks the constitutional jurisdiction to do so.

The chairmen, who made their position known in a press conference in Jos yesterday, said “Our attention was drawn to a press release issued by Gyang Berry, Special Assistant Media, to the Governor, conveying the purported decision of the Governor of Plateau State, approving with immediate effect the suspension of the 17 Local Government Area structures to pave the way for the investigation being carried out by the Government.

“Having painstakingly gone through the said press release, we make the following preliminary observations: The Governor did not cite any constitutional or statutory support, enabling him to suspend what they described as ‘17 local government area structures,” a phrase which does not lend itself to easy comprehension.

“If we do indeed understand the actions contemplated by the state Assembly, it was a mere resolution, which is advisory to the Governor. In any case, such advice will not override existing legislations establishing the Local Government councils, as enshrined in the constitution, which is domesticated by relevant laws on the same subject matter in Plateau state.

“We have gone through the Plateau State Local Government Council Law and we have found out that there is no part or whole of the law donating such powers to the House of Assembly. The Plateau State House of Assembly is the maker of the Plateau State Local Government Council law. To act in contempt and in utter disregard of the laws made by them is to devalue their functions.”