Hon Shehu Bala Debunks Claim  Of Illegally  Installing Afizere ( JARAWA) District Heads

Yakubu Busari

The attention of the Executive Chairman of Jos North Local Government Council, Ambassador Shehu Bala Usman has been drawn to a Press Statement by Berom and Anaguta Youth Movements suggesting that the Chairman ,Hon .Shehu Bala  illegally installed District heads in contravention of a subsisting court order.

In a statement in Jos, Usman described the Press Statement as not only malicious and misleading but the figment of the imagination of the authors who are not sufficiently informed of the true position of the issues at stake.

Philip Eplong. Media Aide to the Executive Chairman, bJos North LGC made this available to our correspondent in Jos .

He stated that Jos North is only merely carrying out directives of the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs who instructed it to conduct and ensure proper   selection process.

The Local Government  Chairman noted that in furtherance of this, the process was conducted by Council Secretary Pastor Samuel Gyang Chollom who is the Chairman of the selection committee by law.

Usman explained that as Council Chairman of Jos North, he has discharged his duties creditably well by carrying along all  tribes in the administration of the Local Government and expressed surprised why he is been erroneously  accused of being biased towards other tribes.

He noted that since his assumption of office , as Management and Elected Chairman,  worked assiduously to ensure the emergence of Pozoh Johnson Jauro Magaji as the Ujah Anaguta, Adagwom Jos Izere,Adagwon Emmanuel Ajik and the Gwom Kabong , Da retired Justice Gabriel Sha whose stools were either vacant on non-existent.

The Chairman described as false the alleged threats said to have been mounted on the Jos North Council Secretary to sign letters of  appointments of the newly installed Districts Head as that is the exclusive rights of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

On the Issue of the council Secretary , in order to ensure equity, fairness and balance, prior his appointment  was opposed by the Berom nation who vehemently rejected it without any cogent reasons.

The Chairman noted that based on the powers conferred on the Chairman of the Local  Government, he can hire and fire any appointee he feels his services is not required including the Council Secretary.

Usman advised the authors of the Press Statement to stop dragging his name to the mud, stressing that he has nothing to hide assuring that he will continue to carry the All tribes along in the scheme of things.

‘To the best of my knowledge Usman noted  “no anybody or group has ever approached my office demanding for an audience on this matter,” he said describing their actions as character assassination aimed at belittling him and the office of the executive Chairman of Jos North.

He reminded the purveyors of this unfounded and baseless allegations that Jos North under his leadership has invested heavily in peaceful coexistence and will not do anything to jeopardize the hard earned peace currently being enjoyed under any guise.

The Chairman therefore urged the Anaguta and Berom Youth Movements not to be used by agents of destabilization to caused chaos through Press Statement and instead, they should join hands with his administration to ensure the hard earned peace is sustained at any cost.