PDP lawmakers protest tenure extension for Plateau LG chairmen

Ten lawmakers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Plateau State House of Assembly yesterday staged a walk out following a request by Governor Simon Bako Lalong to extend the tenure of the 17 management committee chairmen by six months.

Daily Trust reports that this is the third time the House was extending the tenure of the caretaker chairmen.

They were first appointed in July 2015 after Lalong sacked the elected chairmen of the local councils he inherited from former Governor Jonah Jang on grounds of corruption.

Problem started when the speaker of the assembly, Peter Azi, read a communication from Governor Lalong, asking for a six month tenure extension for the chairmen, to allow the state government put machinery in place for the conduct of council elections.

However, the 10 PDP lawmakers who staged the walk out yesterday were against the extension and asked the house to consider a two months extension instead, adding that there were 11 petitions against the chairmen.

Member representing Kantana constituency who is the deputy speaker, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, said the petitions were an indication that the chairmen were performing poorly, adding that “since there are allegations of massive corruption levelled against these management committee chairmen, their tenure should not be extended for more than two months.”

But member representing Jos North, constituency under the APC, Ibrahim Baba Hassan urged the house to consider the six months extension to pave way for proper planning of the council elections.

However, before the speaker, Peter Azi, put the motion to a voice vote, the 10 PDP lawmakers staged a walk out. The speaker however went ahead with the voice vote in which the house agreed to the six months extension. From Lami Sadiq, Jos