JOS-IN what looked like a further assertion of status as a state government in the federation, the Plateau State Government yesterday dared the Federal Government and swore in the elected chairmen in the 17 local government areas in the state amidst tight security.
The first effort to inaugurate the local governments in December 2008 was allegedly suspended at the behest of President Umaru Yar'Adua, who was said to have told Governor Jonah Jang that the inauguration could lead to more violence in the state. But Jang has since denied this, insisting that the suspension was his own initiative.
A source had disclosed that "the President was highly incensed that the governor could contemplate inaugurating the councils in the face of the development when tension was still high and people still counting their huge losses. The President told the governor to shelve the idea."
Swearing in the local government chairmen yesterday, Governor Jang tasked them to take steps to assist in the healing process in the state.
The swearing-in which took place unannounced was without the usual fanfare and was held amidst tight security.
The event, in apparent submission to pressures from a cross section of the state, came almost two months after the elections of November 27, 2008, which resulted in the violence that erupted in the state capital for the next day.
Governor Jang who warned that there would be zero tolerance to corruption charged the new chairmen to avoid abusing the mandate of the people or spending recklessly.
He urged them to build bridges of harmonious co-existence in view of the recent crisis in the state and serve as true agents of development at the grassroots through programmes that would impact on the people.
He spoke against the tendency by those he called desperate politicians to turn conflicts into an enterprise from which they reap partisan dividends, stressing the need for all to assist in strengthening democracy in the country for the benefit of present and future generations.
According to Jang, "by this inauguration, we are completing the chain of the democratic process that saw to the emergence of elected representatives at the local government during the November 27th 2008, election.
It is this democratic drive that has propelled us to give the people their chosen structure with today's inauguration."
He said the beauty of democracy was that it provided avenue for redress adding that the Local Government Elections Petitions Tribunal set up after the election was already entertaining complaints arising from the election.
The swearing-in of the chairmen who all belong to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would have been held shortly after the election but was put off because of the violence in Jos North Local Government area which led to the loss of lives and property.
Several groups including the state House of Assembly had in the past few weeks called on the governor to swear-in the chairmen to enable them actualize their mandate.
Meanwhile, an appeal panel was on Wednesday inaugurated by the state Chief Judge, Justice Lazarus Dakyen to take appeals arising from the decisions of the tribunal. The six-member panel is headed by Justice Yargata Nimpar who had once chaired a local government petitions tribunal years ago.
It will be recalled that events in the aftermath of the Jos violence have spawned great controversy. First, President Yar'Adua set up a panel of inquiry headed by Emmanuel Abisoye, a retired general, to unravel immediate and remote causes of the Jos mayhem, and proffer solutions.
But Yar'Adua's action was challenged in court by the Plateau State government, which sued the Federal Government, and indeed sought the court's order to restrain the government at the centre from probing the tragedy, insisting that it is better placed constitutionally to set up a probe panel.
The House of Representatives similarly set up an ad-hoc committee which began conducting hearings into the causes of the event, but was also dragged to court by the state government, which later set up its own inquiry panel, headed by eminent jusrist, Prince Bola Ajibola.

He did the right thing

The governor is constitutionally right.

Well we may say that constitutionally the Governor has the right to swear in Lg Chiefs but letz ask ourselves this question, is he really doing the right thing at the right time?
letz face facts, there are alot of things wrong with our country, our president is sick and has since loss focus.If Anything happens in jos today, alot of lifes will be lost b4 any decision is taken.compare how Obasanjo handled jos n ekiti crisis with how yaRDULL is presently mismanaging the situation, At the moment he is preparing to head to Germany for another round of treatment, may God Help Nigeria.

jang is lucky baba obj isnt the man in charge

if not, he would have gone down like dariye