Taroh women and concerned youth groups from Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State have embarked on a peaceful procession to demand for the reinstated Council chairman, Hon. Joshua Laven to be allowed into office without any hindrance.
It would be recalled that Laven contested on the platform of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Amos Nanloh for the chairmanship seat of Langtang North local government in 2018 and the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) declared Nanloh elected and he was sworn in.
However, Laven went to court where the election was quashed in his favour, and he was sworn in as duly elected chairman on October 9, 2019 for the period of three years.
But after spending two years in office, PLASIEC declared his seat vacant by advertisement in the media which led Laven to approach the Court.
Delivering his judgment recently, Justice Ishaku Kunda of the State High Court, asked Laven to resume office immediately without delay to complete his three-year tenure which terminates on 9th October, 2022 as he took oath of office on 9thOctober, 2019.
Kunda described the whole scenario where Laven was stopped from completing his tenure as an act of "impunity, illegality and executive rascality which must end forth with".
The Judge said, “Laven’s tenure cannot be arbitrarily aborted before his tenure elapses.
“The election held thereof (9th October, 2021) was nullity. Laven shall go back to the local government to complete his tenure as the Executive Chairman of the council. I hold and warn that the defendant (PLASIEC) should not disobey this judgement.”
However, since the declarative judgement the powers that be in the State have refused to allowed the chairman into his office.
The two groups hit the streets of Langtang North LGA simultaneously on Wednesday.
They were seen dressed in black attires. Some of them with posters with inscriptions which reads: "Gov. Lalong as a lawyer obey the rule of law; On the rule of law we stand; Plateau State Commissioner of Police do the needful; Taroh women say no to impunity and illegality; among others.
Speaking shortly after the procession to the Palace of the Ponzhi Taroh, the Divisional Police Station and the NSCDC Office in Council to registered their pains and grievances, Mrs. Grace Ponfa one of the leader of the Women group said the reason for the peaceful procession is because of the serious problems that is currently bedeviling their land.
According to her, the women of Council are crying and demanding for a total restoration of democratic order in the LGC.
They argued that presently Langtang North LGA has no Executive chairman to pilot the affairs of the council.
"We are all witness to the fact that at this moment that we speak the Council has no chairman. This development has a negative consequence on the lives of the people of Langtang North LGA.
"We all are pained that our wards and children who have needs for indigene forms or attestation letters for jobs can't access it because of the reason that they can't say who is exactly the executive Chairman of the Council.
"The deployment of stern looking security personnel at the Council secretariat is worrisome. Workers no longer go to the secretariat to work for fear of their lives which has equally retarded progress and development", she lamented.
Also speaking on behalf of the Concerned Youths who joined the procession, Comrade Menaseh Telzing Nimkur said they are pleading with the Royal father, who is the custodian of their culture to make hay when the sunshine to appeal to the powers that be to listen to their cry and pains with a view to provide lasting solution to the current political impasse and move the Council forward.
They further urged Governor Simon Lalong, the State Commissioner of Police, Traditional Rulers and all critical stakeholders to as a matter of urgency intervene in the ongoing situation by ensuring that the rule of Law is adhered to and enforced as regards the declarative judgement delivered by Justice Ishaku Kunda of the Plateau State High Court of Justice which ordered the reinstatement of Hon. Joshua Laven, chairman of Langtang North LGA to complete his three years tenure .
In their responses, the Acting Ponzhi Taroh and Ponzhi Zinni, HRH Nimnan Langnim and the representatives of the Divisional Police Officer DPO Langtang North LGA DSP Zingven Nankur commended both the women and youth groups for not taking the law into their hands by embarking on peaceful procession to registered their displeasure over what is going on in their LGA.
They both, promised to channeled their complains to the appropriate quarters.
They however warned that they should not allowed the procession to be hijacked by miscreants with a view to unleashed mayhem on the law abiding citizens of the locality.
By Pwanagba Agabus, Jos
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