A Former Governor of Plateau State, Senator Jonah David Jang has called on well-meaning Plateau Elders, Stakeholders and indeed people of goodwill who love Plateau State to intervene in order to restore order and the sanctity of democracy at the Plateau State House of Assembly.
This position was contained in a statement personally signed by the Former Governor/Senator and made available to journalists in Jos the Plateau State Capital.
According to the former Governor Plateau People woke up to the drama which has engulfed the State Assembly simply because a section of the Government wants the Speaker out at all costs. He lamented that it is unfortunate that these individuals have put their primordial sentiments above reason and would do anything including making mockery of the Constitution just to achieve their selfish end.
Senator Jang pointed out that though the removal of the Speaker or change of leadership in the legislature is not new, however, when the process is abused and goes against the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the people must work together to ensure the stability of the House.
Senator Jang stressed that even though the Executive have denied involvement in the impeachment, the more they try to spin a story around the issue, the more glaring it becomes that the six members who staged an impeachment are only acting out a script for the Governor (Rt Hon Barr Simon Bako Lalong) pointing out that the hasty nature with which the Governor hurriedly received a ‘new speaker’ knowing fully well, being a lawyer, that what happened was an aberration speaks volumes.
According to Senator Jang, evidence has shown that the numbers required to carry the impeachment is not available to those desperate to remove the speaker, hence they have resorted to using undue force in pushing forth their agenda which is indeed, not only unconstitutional but,
shameful.
Senator Jang called on the Governor of Plateau State, Rt Hon Barr Simon Bako Lalong to listen to the voice of reason and restore normalcy in the Plateau State House of Assembly, stressing that the crisis bedevilling the Assembly has a way of spiralling to affect the lacklustre performance of the government which has already failed in discharging its responsibility to Plateau citizens.
The former Governor called on Plateau elders to rise up to the occasion by prevailing on the Governor, Barr. Simon Bako Lalong, to demonstrate leadership for once by allowing the Honourable Members of the Plateau State House of Assembly to decide who their leaders are and even if the speaker were to be impeached, the members of the House be allowed to so decide; arm twisting the Assembly with a few members will further derail the government of the day as it staggers toward a directionless route.
He noted that No amount of explanation will justify wrongdoing, pointing out that it is unconstitutional for 8 out of 24 members to effect a change in leadership in the House, no matter how the Government goads them on.
According to Senator Jang, The Governor should know better as a lawyer and must not allow the trappings of power push him to dig deeper into infamy, the prize he has earned for himself, with Plateau people, in seeking personal ambition over the collective welfare of the citizens.
Senator Jang noted that ordinarily, it would have been thought that the Governor, himself, a former Speaker of the House of Assembly who was impeached, would have learned from the mistakes of the past and etched his name in gold but here we are, retrogressively marching beyond the dark days of the past.
Senator Jang noted further that Democracy has come of age in Nigeria and those of who were in the trenches fighting for the return to democratic rule will not fold arms and watch their labours washed down the drain by the egotistical pursuits of individuals who are only beneficiaries of what we were even jailed for by the military.
The former Governor used the opportunity to lend his voice with those of other well meaning Plateau people, to call on the Governor to salvage the situation and restore normalcy to the House, stressing that Plateau has become a laughing stock and hence, an end must be put to the unconstitutionality playing out at the Plateau State House of Assembly.
Senator Jang noted that Failure on the part of Gov Lalong to do that will not only have openly declared tacit support, as we are already sensing, to a breach of the constitution but would have gone ahead to brazenly show he sanctioned the comedy playing out in the House of Assembly.
Senator Jang pointed out that haven fought for democracy, as member of NADECO and later the G38, he is willing to lead a protest of Plateau people against the illegality that has been perpetrated at the Plateau State House of Assembly, stressing that Plateau is bigger than any individual, hence, the aspirations of the people must not be trampled upon owing to the selfishness of a few.
According to the former Governor, the situation transcends party affiliation, and is now a matter of safeguarding the Plateau heritage and guaranteeing the security and welfare of the people which, in all honesty, the government of the day has failed to provide.
Senator Jang noted that while he understood the frustrations of Plateau youths, he called on them to resist the temptation of taking laws into their hands as two wrongs can not make a right.
Nigeria Star News 