Plateau holds LG elections, swears in chairmen

ONE of the issues in the front burner of the state government during the week was the successful conduct of the Local Government Area (LGA) elections across the state under a peaceful atmosphere on October 9, 2021.

Fears about the elections especially that of Jos North ending peacefully was a major source of concern to many individuals and groups who aired their views by calling for a possible cancellation of the elections in flash point zones like Jos North LGA, through various press conferences and media messages.

But a state-wide broadcast by the Governor on the eve of the elections, Friday, however assured citizens that adequate security had been put in place and the Local Government elections would hold in all the 17 Local Government Areas. The security were indeed, at work and were seen hovering and stopping vehicles with stop-and-search intent and interrogations.

With the PDP excluded from the race due to a court ruling, and about seven political parties participating, the APC won all the chairmanship seats in the 17 council areas and won the councillorship seats across the 325 wards in the state, as announced by the Chairman of the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission, Fabian Ntung on Sunday. The Governor who voted in his ward in his home town Ajikamai, cast his vote at 10:30am in company of his wife Regina at Nyak ward, Ajikamai.

Two days after the elections on Monday October 11, there was the swearing in of the newly elected chairmen at the Victoria Gowon Hall, Rayfield by Lalong, who described the successful elections as quite significant and historic. Based on past happenings and record of events, Jos North has always been a centre for bloodletting and post elections violence. A situation that has made past governors to always appoint Ccaretaker- chairmen to man affairs of the LGA.

In a very long while. Lalong said during his speech at the swearing in occasion that this is one of the most peaceful LGA elections conducted in the state, and also the first time Local Government elections was peacefully conducted in Jos North.

“It is with a huge sense of fulfilment that I address you today at this very historic and significant event. We have every reason to thank God for the successful transition from one LGA tenure to another after the successful elections that took place on the 9th of October; despite the legal fireworks that persisted up to few hours before the polls, PLASIEC were able to carry out their constitutional mandate. Without doubt, this is a very significant achievement in our democratic journey and the efforts to build a Plateau that is inclusive, egalitarian and progressive. I am happy that all political parties and candidates had equal opportunity to participate in the process from the beginning, while those who had issues within their parties exploited all legal options to ventilate their grievances rather than resorting to taking laws into their hands. This itself is a threshold in deepening democracy”.

It was indeed, jubilation galore on the swearin- in day as an unprecedented and overwhelming crowd made up of supporters and family members of the winners, stakeholders and party stalwarts converged from across the 17 LGAs of the state. Traditional dancers from each of the LGA’s were also fully on ground, clad in their traditional attires to depict their identity and celebrate their new chairmen and councillors. They were fascinating as they thrilled the air with their cultural dance steps and performances.

Creating humour while speaking, the Governor said from the circumstances that has played out in the just concluded elections, lawyers have been put out of tribunal work because there may be no need for tribunals or post elections petitions since the elections went on smoothly and peacefully in all the 17 LGAs.

While calling on the new Chairmen to embrace all their subjects and ensure justice to all irrespective of social, religious, political or ethnic differences, he said elections is neither war nor an avenue for disharmony and called on citizens to also put behind their differences and work together to build the state.

FG donates relief materials

But earlier in the week of elections, the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, HajiyaSadiya Umar Farouq had visited the state with relief materials to give succor to victims of the September isolated attacks and killings in YelwaZangam in Jos North LGA, Jebbu, Miango in Bassa LGA, Riyom and and Jos South LGAs.

After the killings occurred, President Buhari had directed her ministry to organise and send relief materials to the state, when Governor Lalong visited the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja to intimate him of the security situation and sad happenings. The minister’s coming was therefore in fulfillment of the President’s directive. She came with food and non-food items like bags of rice, beans, noodles, cement, detergents, soap, wrappers seasoning, milk, oil, nails, zinc, ceiling boards, mattresses, mats, blankets among numerous items. Farouq called for peaceful coexistence and said the relief materials must not be viewed as compensation to the victims but a little gesture to enable them start life all over again, after losing their wealth and everything they had to the tragedy.

During the visit, the minister made a stop at the Obasanjo Model Primary School where she visited the Information Communication Technology (ICT) Centre, one of the pilot ICT centres which is one of the Federal Government’s initiative and model centres for ICT in the 21st century. The minister said the ICT center is part of the programme in her ministry to support children in primary and secondary schools in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to be ICT compliant. She also said each state has two or three centres and Plateau is a pilot state and centre for the North Central Zone. The centre has 40 computers and uses solar energy as its source of electricity supply.

Lalong appreciated the kind gesture of the FG’s timely intervention, but like Oliver Twist used the forum to ask for more, by asking the Minister to remind the President and his Vice President, Prof. YemiOsinbanjo of the N10 milion Naira pledge they made to his state for resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons.

GbongGwom turns 70

According to Lalong, if this pledge is redeemed, it will go a long way in bringing succour to IDPs and hasten the facilitation and relocation of those affected back to their destroyed homes.

There was also great celebrations within and outside the state on the occasion of the 70th birthday of the Head of the Plateau State Joint Traditional Council, the GbongGwom Jos. In various goodwill messages, the renowned first class monarch, HRH Da Jacob GyangBuba was widely celebrated with goodwill messages pouring in from Nigeria’s President, MohammaduBuhari, Governor Lalong and many well wishers, describing him as a peacemaker and one who has worked immensely for the development of the country. They wished the monarch long life as he continues his job of touching lives as key stakeholder in his state and Nigeria as a whole.