The Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Peter Azi, has said the state’s legislative arm has undertaken steps aimed at conducting local government elecrtions any moment soon.
Azi said that it had become imperative for the legislature to take steps to ensure that democracy took firm roots at the local government level. The speaker stated this in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Jos, Plateau State.
According to him, the inability of the state government to conduct elections into the local government councils has become a matter of concern to the House of Assembly.
Azi, however, disclosed that the state Legislature had already begun work on a bill that would fix the tenure of council chairmen in the state.
The speaker, however, warned that the frequent extension of the tenure of the management committees should not be misconstrued as a measure that would continue without an end.
He stressed that the Assembly would not hesitate to sack any of the current management committee chairmen found wanting.
Azi said, “The issue of local government management chairmen, actually, is a thing of concern to us because we really want democracy to be rooted at the local government level in the state.
“We are working on a bill to ascertain the tenure of the elected local government chairmen, which will enable the state to conduct the elections.
However, if we extend the tenure of the chairmen, it doesn’t mean they must stay in office for a prolonged period because any chairman found to be wanting or corrupt, such a person will be removed from office.
Remember, the chairman of Jos East was removed from office for obvious reasons and somebody was appointed to replace him.
“Some people think that if they have problem with any chairman, then the House should quickly sack that chairman. Our duty is to give the occupiers of such office legal backing, because without legal backing, their stay in office is illegal.”
The speaker also noted that the existing cordial relationship between the Assembly and Governor Solomon Lalong should not be misconstrued that the lawmakers have become a mere rubber stamp and operating at the whims and caprices of the Executive.
He added that it was important that the legislature sustain the existing cordial relationship with the executive arm in the overall interest of the state. “When those accusing us say we are rubber stamp, then they should be able to pinpoint things that they think have made us to become rubber stamp.
If Governor Lalong requested for a loan facility and we asked him what he intended to do with the loan and he said he was going to pay salary arrears, and we gave him the approval and he used it for the purpose it was meant for, what else do you expect us to do?.
So, I want to tell our accusers calling us ‘rubber stamp’ to stop and let us collectively work for the good of our state,” Azi said.
