The Plateau State House of Assembly on Tuesday refused to deliberate on the list of nominees submitted by Governor Simon Lalong for appointment as Local Government Caretaker Committee members.
The House rejected the list because it is not constitutionally right, a member of the House, Jacob Kassam (PDP-Kanke), told the News Agency of Nigeria after the sitting.
Kassam said members expressed surprise that a list to that effect was brought since the House had resolved not to discuss the matter as it was in court.
He said: “We found it strange because both the legislature and the executive have been served with court injunctions on the matter.
“We do not want to be charged with contempt of court since the matter is still being heard.”
NAN reports that the local government council chairmen, who were elected last year, were sacked by the governor last month.
Not satisfied, the council chiefs took the matter to court and obtained an injunction that restrained the governor from sacking them and appointing caretaker committee members.
NAN reports that the functions of the council chairmen, whose tenure was expected to expire in March 2017, are being handled by the Director of Personnel Management of the various local governments.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Plateau State, Nasiru Oki, has debunked insinuations that the force was being used to stop the chairmen from returning to office.
Oki said: “We are not preventing anybody from performing his or her legal duty.
“As an officer of the law, I can’t do otherwise but to obey the laws of the land.”
Oki promised to investigate reported incidents where the police were said to have denied some councillors and other elected officials of Jos South and Riyom Local Government Areas access to the council’s secretariat.
NAN.
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