From Yakubu Busari, Jos
Plateau State lawmakers were stopped on Monday from gaining access into the Assembly by armed security personnel who had besiege premises to prevent members from holding an emergency sitting.
The lawmakers had at the weekend giving Governor Simon Lalong a 21-day ultimatum to respond to the ongoing, uncontrolled killing spree in the state or face possible impeachment, accusing him of abandoning his function as an elected governor of the state since he was appointed Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum Chairman.
Disclosing this information on Monday was the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abok Nuhu Ayuba while featuring on Channels Television’s Sunrise on security situation in Plateau state, which was monitored by THISAGE
The Speaker said: “As I am talking to you now, the Plateau state House of Assembly is under seal by the security, because we spoke the minds of the people.
“They have sent them there that nobody should go to the House. Can you imagine? It shows the executive are no respecters of the law. They don’t respect the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We have every right as members of the House of Assembly to say whatever we have to say because we have the immunity on the floor of House”.
The Plateau State Commissioner of Information Dan Majang who was also featured in the programme expressed surprise and claimed ignorance of the development. But the Hon. Speaker responded thus: “Based on the submission of the commissioner, that he is not aware of the siege on the House of Assembly, please, the Channels reporterd can follow us.
“In the next two hours, we are going there, all the members are going to the House of Assembly and you would see things for yourselves.
Ayuba, maintained that Governor Lalong has not lived up to expectation with regards to handling security matters in the state, stressing that if the governor had implemented the 15 motions previously passed by the House, he would have nipped the security issues in the bud and the recent carnage in some parts of the state, particularly in Bassa, Riyom, Jos North and other areas wouldn’t have occurred.
According to the speaker, “We brought the governor to defend the people of Plateau State”.
Hon. Bitrus Kaze, a former federal lawmaker who also featured on the programme expressed his dismay over the way and manner Gov. Lalong had handled the security situation in the state stressing that the peace building agency of the government has not equally lived up to expectations.
Recall that in the wake of recent massacre of 36 people in Yelwa Zangam in Jos North by suspected Fulani herdsmen, the Plateau State House of Assembly in its resolution, issued a 21-day ultimatum to Gov Lalong to implement all the motion forwarded to the executive on issues relating to security and failure of which the House will invoke the necessary provision of the law against the governor. The threat, it was learnt, has not gone down well with Governor Lalong and he is ready for battle with the lawmakers.
