Sacked 17 LGAs Chairs not reinstated by court— Plateau Govt

he Plateau Government has dismissed as fake reports being circulated that a High court ruled in favour of the suspended 17 Local Government Chairmen in the state.

 

Governor Caleb Mutfwtang had on June 10 inaugurated an interim transition committee following the suspension of all democratic structures in the areas.

 

However reports being circulated on social media platforms had indicated that a court in the state had restored the local government chairpersons.

 

But in a statement issued by Gov Mutfwtang ‘s Media Aide, Mr Gyang Bere on Sunday in Jos, the Plateau Government described the rumour as misleading.

 

It therefore urged members of the public to disregard it.

 

The government said that the Plateau State High Court on June 23 sat over the Suit No. PLD/J257M/2023 and there was no pronouncement by the presiding Judge that the former local government chairmen should remain in office.

 

‘’There was no pronouncement from the presiding Judge that restrained Gov. Mutfwang from sacking the 17 former chairmen on the allegation of financial embezzlement,”.

 

The State Government therefore affirmed that the Transition Committee Chairpersons it set up are fully in charge of the affairs of Local Government Councils in the state.

 

The court had adjourned until Sept. 22 for all pending applications and substantive originating summons to be taken to enable the court for a composite ruling.

 

The suspended chairmen took Gov. Mutfwang to court over their suspension from office.

 

In the suit, the chairmen said that their purported suspension was unconstitutional.

 

They argued that the power to remove them for any gross misconduct does not reside with the House of Assembly or the governor.

 

The suspended chairmen stated that the procedure for removing a local government chairman is explicitly set out in Section 37 of the Local Government Council Law.

 

They specifically want the court to invoke its interpretative jurisdiction to determine, among others, whether the governor has the power to terminate, suspend, truncate, or disturb our tenure in the light of Section 7 of the constitution.

 

They argued that the system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this constitution guaranteed.