The dissolution of the 17 local councils by Governor Simon Lalong despite constitutional provisions guaranteeing the system of democracy at the councils provokes strong reactions on the Plateau.

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

GOVERNOR Simon Lalong of Plateau State came to power last May upon the popular agitation against the alleged authoritarianism of his predecessor, Senator Jonah Jang.

Besides, the governor’s pedigree as a grassroots politician and speaker of the State House of Assembly and subsequently chairman of the Conference of Speakers was also seen as a positive development to the entrenchment of the rule of law in the state.

Acid test: One test voters subjected the then governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC was on his attitude towards the local government councils that were elected in 2014.

Given that all but one of the councils were won by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, there were suggestions that Lalong could tinker with or dissolve the councils, if elected. In the course of the campaign, Lalong however, rebuffed such suggestions as he promised to abide by the law.

The issue of the local councils was especially touching given the serious campaign and credibility of the elections that enthroned the council members and chairmen.

Even after he won the election, Lalong continued to affirm his determination to abide by the law in allowing the councils to run out their three-year tenure. Indeed, as part of his promise, the governor swore in the Chairman of Langtang North Local Council whose victory at the polls was upheld by a tribunal.

The former governor, Jang, had resisted the judgement and refused to swear in the chairman despite several protests from the people of Langtang North.

Dissolution  of councils

Simon Lalong

Lalong’s seeming predilection for the rule of law, however, took a negative turn on Monday, July 6 when he ordered the dissolution of all the 17 local councils in the state.

His reason was that the loyalty of the council chairmen was suspect.

The Governor who tried to give a decent face to the illegality claimed the council chairmen were not willing to work with him. Though at different fora before and after his victory at the polls, he had given every assurance that he would not dissolve the councils.

Nkup’s suspension: Before dissolving the entire councils, the Governor had earlier sanctioned the suspension of Mr. Nicholas Nshe and his Deputy, Noel Nkup by the Legislative Arm of the Council, which incidentally is the governor’s home council and directed the Council’s Director of Personnel Management, DPM, Mrs. Elizabeth Dakol, to take over the leadership of the council.

The people of the state were taken aback by the Governor’s action except his political disciples, who stand to benefit from the action.

PDP kicks: Barely had the announcement of the dissolution been made by the State Radio/Television Stations, PRTVC, than the PDP flayed the decision and urged the chairmen not to vacate their offices as their dissolution is “illegal.”

Reacting to the situation, the acting chairman of the PDP in the state, Mr. Raymond Dabo, said the governor had barely settled in office instead of engaging in effective governance, he is perpetrating impunity, lawlessness and promoting absence of governance in the State.

He condemned the action and described it as “a betrayal of the people of Plateau” stressing, “We condemn in totality the disruption of democratic structures at the local government level, we do not wish to deprive any authority of her right to use her powers but where there are no such powers, we will be constrained by the richness of our conviction for true democracy to react.

“The dissolution is of no effect and unenforceable, our Chairmen remain the rightful Chief Executive Officers of their respective local government areas and have been instructed not to heed any illegal declaration.”

Similarly, the embattled Chairmen flayed the action saying the governor acted on rumours of their perceived disloyalty.

The governor, some sources claim acted on the rumour that the council chairmen were hobnobbing with former Governor Jang.

Disregard for court injunction

Remarkably, the dissolution of the councils was despite the court injunction procured by the council chairmen restraining anyone from tampering with the life of the councils as guaranteed by law.

The Chairmen, led by Emmanuel Loman (Barkin Ladi local council) and Caleb Mutfwang (Mangu local council) who are the State ALGON Chairman and Secretary, respectively, said by the action, the governor had betrayed the confidence the people reposed in him as “a man whose words can be trusted.”

The duo stated the rumours that “the elected chairmen were not loyal to the governor and are not ready to work with him” are mischievous and “concocted by merchants of fortune.”

Shocking announcement

According to Loman: “You will recall that on the 6th of July, 2015, the good people of Plateau woke up to the shocking announcement that the Governor had approved the dissolution of the elected local government councils in the state ‘with immediate effect’.

Jang

“The good people of the state will also recall that Mr. Governor gave public assurances on several occasions that he was not going to dissolve local councils. It is on record that our beloved Governor used this assurance as a campaign tool before the elections.

“Though His Excellency and his Director of Press Affairs have tried to put a decent face on this brazen act of impunity, the explanation offered by the Governor on Tuesday offers a clue into the minds of those who finally persuaded him to betray the confidence the people of Plateau had reposed on him as a man whose words can be trusted.”

However, Mutfwang, a lawyer  explained that the rumour that “the chairmen are not loyal to the Governor and the Chairmen were not ready to work with him” were the cheap lies of APC hangers-on who are seeking opportunities to be appointed as Care-Taker Chairmen.

He saw the action of the Governor as “a betrayal of the wishes of the people” and called on him to “allow common sense to prevail by immediately reversing his directive and obeying the laws of the land.”

I won’t be distracted –Governor

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Nanle, the Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor condemned the Press Conference delivered by the State Acting Chairman of the PDP, Chief Raymond Dabo on July 7 2015 saying such is “a visible exhibition of the uninformed background from which the Press releases of the PDP in the state are made.”

His words: “The Governor of Plateau State has stated repeatedly that he would not be distracted or hoodwinked into replying on issues which they, the People of Plateau State know, the PDP is struggling to white wash with her Press Conference because of her record of bad performance in the state.

“No matter how hard the PDP try, the people are aware that the last administration’s maladministration, non-prioritization of projects and a lack of financial discipline are what have plunged the state into the current state of numerous uncompleted projects, huge salary and pension backlogs as well as a debt profile that is a nightmare to any leader.

It would be recalled that the Governor had further directed in his meeting with Directors of Personnel Management on Tuesday the 7th July, 2015, that they should report back the state of handing over and taking over of office and instructed the Police to ensure the recovery of all Government Property in the possession of the dissolved Executive Chairmen and Councillors.”