By; BUHARI B. BELLO, Jos
The embattled Chairman of Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State, Hon. Joshua Ubandoma Laven on Saturday, accused Governor Simon Lalong of being responsible for lack of payment of workers salary in the council.
He also said he has six court judgments against the state government, challenging the “illegal and forceful” termination of his tenure, but the governor has deliberately refused to grant him access to the council’s secretariat to complete his one-year tenure.
Laven disclosed this while addressing journalists in Jos, the state capital.
According to him, he has written to the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to pay the local government workers, but government has refused to honour the request.
The chairman who had frozen the local government’s account based on court judgments in his favour, wrote in June and August, 2022 for government to release funds and pay worker of the local government but the state government has remained adamant.
“My victory in court is a victory for democracy in Nigeria, I can assure you that the precedent I have laid down on the Plateau will save the present clueless All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the state for imposing all local government chairmen without election.
“Governor Simon Lalong is poised at destroying the Tarok nation, he is poised at destroying the hard earned democracy that he is enjoying because there was no vacancy in Langtang North when the purported election was conducted,” he said.
Laven noted that because he is a law abiding citizen of Nigeria, he allowed the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) to conduct the election which was contested only by the APC and urged the governor to pay workers their salary.
“I am disappointed in Lalong and I am saying that the governor should release the salary of workers in Langtang North, the court has ordered for the release of the salary and I have given my consent to it.
“Langtang North people should hold Governor Lalong responsible for any break of law because the court orders and the judgments were very clear so he should obey, I am not fighting a personal fight,” he submitted.
The chairman also revealed that there is a plot to assassinate him and the member representing Langtang North/South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Beni Lar by unknown persons and said the matters was reported to the police
