Sunday Adams

Sixteen  Councillors out of the twenty in the Jos North legislative arm has raised alarm to threats to thier life by some powerful cabal in the council 

 The majority leader of Jos North legislative arm, Hon. Sylvester Ari has discribed as in called for plans by certain persons to stop them from conducting thier legislative function  as members of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), in Jos North Local Government Area, our aim is to  focus and pay  attention on unifying the party in the locality rather than politicking.

Ari who is a Councillor representing Kabong ward said the change of leadership that was effected on Tuesday 22nd March, 2022 that saw his emergence as a majority leader of the legislative arm of Jos North alongside Hon. Zakari Taile, Councillor representing Sarkin Arab Ruwa ward as chief whip was a collective resolved by all legislators.

The majority leader expressed surprise  with the letter served them by the APC party hierarchy in Jos LGA which he discribed as interfering   with the business of legislative arm, he says not that is bad for party to involve in thier activities as it’s the platform in which they were elected 

But says the choice of who becomes the leader and other principal others  is solly the perigative of the legislative arm which is the norm every were so why should ours be different 

Speaking to Journalists on the scenario in Jos North Local Government Secretariat on Thursday, 24th March, 2022, Hon. Ari confirm that, “when we were elected, I and my colleagues, as a majority leader and the Chief whip, the former majority leader and the Chief whip congratulated us, they shuck hands with us and also embraced us.
“Aside that we went to the Local Government Executive Chairman’s office (Hon. Shehu Bala Usman) and we were been presented to him as the newly elected officials and he equally embraced us, welcome the change and gave us his blessings”.
“As you all know the legislative arm is the arm that is saddle with the constitutional responsibility of law making and other business of legislation. That any dealing in the hallow chamber is our constitutional responsibility.

“So for us we have embraced this Constitution and we are working with this Constitution. We are discharging our constitutional right.
“Well, the content of the letter which the party gave us is saying that they are the ones to choose the leaders for us. But constitutional speaking the party can only lobby the members and is left for the legislators to consent whether they will choose what the party want or they will choose the one that would truly work for them.

“But as you can see the members of legislative arm of Jos North is united and unanimously chose the majority leader and my colleague as the chief whip.
“That is to say the members are very much comfortable with whom they have elected to be their leaders as principal officers to pilot the affairs in such a way that it will really moved the legislative arm forward”, he stated.

Throwing more light on the development, the Councillor representing Tudun-Wada ward Hon. Azi Christopher Izang added that, ” we are exercising our constitutional rights therefore, the letter cannot hold water.”

Izang said Jos North LGA spent over two decades without a constitutional authority and elected representatives that will represent the people at the seat of power in the Council.

He also mentioned that as elected representatives of the people at the grassroot “we are doing our best to ensure democratic dividends is actualize.
“The changed in leadership for Jos North legislative arm is aimed at strengthen the party ahead of 2023 general elections knowing fully well that all 20 legislators are APC and the Local Government is APC.”

He stated that 16 out of the 20 legislators were in support of the change of leadership of the legislative arm.