The crisis rocking the local government in Plateau State has taken another dimension as the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the state embarked on an indefinite industrial action because the police unsealed its secretariats across 17 local governments and ordered all democratically elected local council chairmen to resume work on Monday.
Recall that the State Commissioner of Police, Okoro Julius Alawari, in a statement signed by the command spokesman, DSP Alfred Alabo, unsealed the secretariat of the local government secretariats and directed the sacked elected council chairmen to resume duties.
The police initially sealed the local government secretariats to prevent a breakdown of law and order following squabbles between the elected chairmen and transition committee chairmen appointed by Governor Caleb Muftwang.
However, NULGE, in a statement signed by the State Secretary, Sa’ad Abdulmumini, faulted the police for issuing the directive instead of allowing the status quo that both the democratically elected chairmen and the transition from chairmen should stay off pending the resolution of the crisis.
“I have been directed to bring to your notice the commencement of an indefinite strike action effective 12 am on 28th August 2023 by the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in respect of the uncertainties created by the press release issued by the police (PRO) o’s the state command directing for the total unsealing of the 17 LGA secretariats and offices of the local government chairmen in Plateau state allowing democratically elected chairmen and the councillors to have access to their offices and resume work on Monday, 28 August 2023 as against the earlier directive, which prevented both parties, that is, the elected chairmen and councillors and appointed transition implementation committee chairmen from gaining access.
“This resolve has become necessary in order to safeguard and protect our members from the uncertainties this directive might generate.”
On Sunday, the Plateau State Government rejected an order by the police high command directing the suspended local government chairmen and their councillors in the state to return to their duty posts.
Meanwhile, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Philemon Audu Daffi, who made the government’s position known while briefing journalists, rejected the police order directing the suspended LG officials back to their offices, describing it as a recipe for crisis.
The Attorney General said, We have reviewed the security situation in Plateau State, and as a government, we have decided on a course of action to take during the emergency state security council meeting. For the sake of the citizens of Plateau State and Nigeria, we appeal to the Inspector General of Police to reverse the order directing the suspended former LG chairmen to go back to their offices tomorrow (Monday) because it is going to cause a lot of crisis in the state and the country if not reversed” he warned.
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