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From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
There is apprehension in Jos, the Plateau State capital and the 17 local government areas of the state over the planned resumption of the elected chairmen of the local councils in the state today.
The police in Jos had, on Saturday, unsealed the secretariats of the local councils and ordered the elected chairmen and their councillors to resume work today.
The directive followed a protracted dispute between the officials, who were elected in August 2021 during the administration of former governor Simon Lalong and the new administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led administration of Caleb Mutfwang. PDP were excluded from taking part in the election, which was won by the APC.
Mutfwang had, shortly after assumption of office, suspended the elected officials and appointed caretaker committees for the 17 local government area councils. However, attempts by the appointed caretaker committee chairmen to resume office were vehemently resisted by the suspended officials, which almost snowballed into crisis in an already fragile situation.
To restore normalcy, the police had to step in as the then Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, ordered the sealing of the headquarters of the local councils.
But the acting IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, had, on August 15, ordered his men in Plateau to unseal the offices and allow only the workers resume duties, leaving the offices of the chairmen under lock and key.
However, in a move that surprised political watchers, the police high command in the state, last Saturday, ordered the total unsealing of the secretariats of the 17 local councils, to allow the suspended chairmen and their councillors to resume duties immediately.
The directive appeared to have created tension in the state as supporters of the two rival political parties are gearing up for action.
In a statement last Saturday entitled, “Total unsealing of 17 local government secretariats and offices of the local government chairmen in Plateau State”, signed by the Police Spokesperson, Alfred Alabo, the police had said: “As parts of efforts to ensure the effective running of the 17 local government secretariats in the state, the Police High Command has critically reviewed the matter and has directed the Plateau state commissioner of police to unseal all the offices of the local government council chairmen and that of the councillors, to enable all the elected council chairmen and councillors go into their various offices and administer without any hindrance, pending the outcome of their case in court.
The commissioner of police subsequently directed all area commanders and their Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) under his command to immediately unseal the offices of the 17 local government chairmen across the state and allow the democratically elected chairmen to have access to their offices and resume work on Monday, August 28, 2023.
Daily Sun gathered that an emergency meeting of the state Executive council met yesterday to review the situation and take immediate action.
Though the outcome of the meeting is not known at press time, Daily Sun learnt that most PDP members are spoiling for action to prevent the chairmen, who are all from the opposition APC, to resume office.
A PDP stalwart, who spoke to Daily Sun on the condition of anonymity, accused the police of trying to create a state of anarchy in the state. He said the caretaker committee chairmen had already taken over the running of the councils and had been attending the Joint Allocation Committee (JAC) meeting since their appointment.
He said: “It’s totally impossible. Where will they start from? The caretaker committee has been meeting and has already taken over the running of the local government councils, including payment of salaries.
Also a group, Peace and Good Governance Advocates (PEGGA) has expressed concern on a possible breakdown of law and order over the directive by the police to reinstate the suspended local government chairmen and councillors in Plateau State.
The group, in a statement signed by the Coordinator, Manny Imman, expressed concern that the police order was at variance with the order of the Plateau State House of Assembly, the highest law making body in the state.
Daily Sun could not get the police spokesperson to react to the latest development as his phone was unavailable, but it was gathered that the secretariats of the 17 local council areas had been fortified with security agents in anticipation of possible breakdown of law and order.
