From Yakubu Busari, Jos
Hon. Sylvester Ari
The Majority Leader of Jos North Local Government, Hon. Sylvester Ari has given an insight into the impeachment saga that rocked the council on Tuesday ,saying as legislators they had to pass a vote of no confidence on the former Chief Whip and the former Majority Leader “for sabotaging the affairs of good governance of APC in Plateau state.”
The legislative arm of the LGA on Tuesday impeached the Majority leader ,Hon. Jibril Lawan ,and Chief Whip, Hon. Bala Shuaibu for alleged “outright misconduct and conniving with the council Chairman to siphon money meant for campaigns during the bye- election in Jos North /Bassa Federal constituency bye Election.”
The members of the legislative arm after the impeachment embarked on fresh election and elected Hon. Sylvester Ari. Kwapnoe as Majority Leader and Hon. Zakayau Talle as Chief Whip.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with our Correspondent at the Nigeria Civil Service Union, Plateau State council Secretariat in No 2 Fidelis Tapgun road off High Court ,Hill station junction Jos on Tuesday, Ari, who is the new majority leader, disclosed that the legislative arm lost confidence in the former Majority Leader and former Chief Whip because “by their actions they sabotaged the efforts of the House.”
He said; “We found out that there was so much irregularity and gross misconduct orchestrated by them to cause mistrust among the APC councillors of Jos North so much so that between us and the Executive Chairman ,Hon. Shehu Usman Bala there was no cordial working relationship.
Hon. Sylvester emphasized that as the councillors, “we also realize that the executive arm is not ready to work hand in hand in harmony with the legislature to deliver on our campaign promises the dividends of democracy to the people of Plateau at the grassroots level.”
According to him, “we came to understand that the card played by the former Exco working closely with Chairman was creating conflict; from their action the duo of Majority Leader and Chief Whip were fingered to be behind the scene of misconduct which has affected the APC as a party. We were retrogression instead of progression. We also realized that Jos North LGA which is the heart beat of APC here in the Plateau State cannot afford to be run improperly. And as the closest people to grassroots, when the councillors are not properly mobilized as happened in the last election of Jos North/Bassa, the grassroots will suffer because most of the electorate look up them.”
The councillors live with the people, stay with the people and they understand the political psychology of the people and their behaviour with the motivation so in a situation where the executive arm of Jos North was not working in a cordial relationship with them the party will suffer and the people would turn against us .
However, in a situation where the staff are not happy with the executive them they had to call him to order and so that was the reason that informed the action of the legislature to effect change on the leadership of the House.
Ari stressed that it was because of the division in the House that made it impossible for the for them to deliver Jos North to APC during the recent Federal Constituency bye-election on February 26, 2022.
“So I believe that with my emergence as the Majority Leader, we will mobilize and synergize to ensure and endeavour that we can deliver good governance to the good people of Jos North council and also woo more people into APC.”
“As you see it iswith overwhelming support that I emerged as the majority leader of Jos North LG because I got 14 votes out of 20 votes from the councillors; that is a clear demonstration of acceptability .
While expressing his loyalty to Governor Simon Lalong, whose leadership style he promised to in the House, he said, he would “use my human connection to see how we come back together and bring back the glory of the House.
“My leadership style is solidified on the past achievements of governor Lalong because we schooled together. No society can developed without the support among the people.
I’m emphasizing to that no society and no society can attain development or progress if it give priority to the issues religious and ethnic bigotry; we most come together to harness our potential to leave Jos North as a progressive ,developed council .
