By JOHN MKOM JALINGO

The All Progressive Congress (APC), Taraba state chapter today warn Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state on keeping local government council chairmen in the illegally after the expiration of their tenure in office.

The party alleged that governor Ishaku kept the Council Chairmen in office after the expiration of their tenure in a deliberate effort to intimidate them and milk dry the funds meant for local governments.
The National president of the Trade Union Congress TUC Bobboi Kaigama who is also a chieftain of the party in the state while speaking with Leadership on phone disclosed the governor’s stand on the local government chairmen was wrong and should be condemn by all the people of Taraba state.

“the tenure of local government Chairmen in the state expired since February, the people of the state will no longer tolerate the illegality going on at the local government level, election should be conducted to bring in new local government chairmen in the state”
“APC as a party has been making commentaries over the illegal extension of the tenure of of Council Chairmen in the state and we expected that by now the state government will put machinery in place to conduct elections, but till date nothing has been done.

“What we are saying is that whatever the council Chairmen has been doing from February to date is illegal and they should prepare to account for it.
“The Darius Ishaku’s administration should be prepared to account for the illegality that is happening at the local government level.”
He alleged that local government funds in the state remain the gold mine of the Taraba State government, the reason why they cannot conduct election, but hand pick people who will not talk, so that they can continue to milk them dry for their selfish interest.
Meanwhile, the chairman Taraba state house of assembly committee on local government and Chieftaincy Affairs Hon. Mark Useni while reacting to the development said the house has not receive any communication from the executive arm over the tenure elongation of the local government council chairmen in the state.
Useni also confirm that the two years tenure of the local government executive chairmen in Taraba has expired February 2019.

He said the constitution stipulates that the state house of assembly can only act on the matter when the executive arm have communicated to the house.
He decline comment to confirm to our reporter if the governor was acting illegally by keeping the local government chairmen in their offices even after the expiration of their tenure.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Darius Ishaku on Media and Publicity, Mr. Bala Dan-Abu failed as he did not return calls to his line or reply text message sent to his phone.

Culled From Leadership