Civil society group calls out Taraba govt for not complying with court orders

Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo

A civil society group, Accountability for Good Governance (AGG), has expressed displeasure over what it termed the ‘blatant disregard to the rule of law’ by the visitation panel to the Taraba State Polytechnic constituted by the State Government.

The leader of the group, Usman Tanko, who spoke to reporters on Thursday wondered why Governor Darius Ishaku, who came to power through the provision of the constitution will disregard court order, and go ahead to receive the report of the committee despite an injunction by the State high court stopping the committee from carrying out the work.

Tanko said the decision by the State Governor Darius Ishaku to go ahead and receive the report of the committee amounts to contempt of court and a huge slight on the image of the agovernment as a democratic institution.

Governor Darius Ishaku had on Tuesday received report from the visitation panel to the state polytechnic which he constituted months ago.

‘Gentlemen, it would be recalled that, on the 3rd September, 2020 the state high court sitting in Jalingo issued an injunction restricting the panel from continuing with the activities.

‘However, and unfortunately, too, the panel, showing total disregard to the rule of law and in defiance to the court order concluded it sitting and recently and has submitted it report to the State Government with total disregard to the rule of law.

‘For the agovernment to receive report from the visitation panel after court injunction amounts to contempt of court. It also means that the government is not acting in the interest of Tarabans but targeting certain people or political interests.

‘For a Government that is founded through a democratic process, such disregard for the rule of law is not only regrettable but equally dangerous for the system. It is on record that where justice is suppressed, the system breeds anarchy and chaos. Taraba State is already facing serious security challenges and it would be very sad if the government is creating rooms for more tension and agitation to further spread across the State.

‘Consequently, we give the Taraba State Government fourty eight hours ultimatum to disregard the report and comply with the court injunction or expect protest on the streets of Jalingo.

‘We also call on the State Government and it’s agencies to lead by example by giving due regards to the judiciary and judicial processes by showing respect for, and complying with court orders even when such orders are detrimental to some persons in the system,’ Tanko said.