Alli suspends cuts in councils' funds
Orders review of liquor licences
From Isa Abdulsalam, Jos
RESPITE may have come for fund starved councils in Plateau State as the state government at the weekend announced the temporary suspension of deductions of local council monies.
The state Sole Administrator, Maj. Gen. Chris Alli (rdt), who announced the suspension, expressed concern over the proliferation of liquor centres in the state, adding that such places constitute danger to residents.
He, therefore, directed that liquor licences should be reviewed in the interest of the people living in the state.
Alli said that the accumulated salary arrears could not be taken over by the state government because it was a constitutional matter.
He, however, said that the relief on deductions was expected to provide a breathing space for the councils to enable them attend to crucial problems within their competence.
The administrator who is continuing his meet-the-people tour also commended residents of Bassa local council, for cultivating friendly disposition to soldiers of the 3 Armoured Division who constitute a significant proportion of the population of the area.
He urged them to remain hospitable not only to soldiers but all Nigerians who have the desire to dwell in their midst.
In his welcome address, the council's chairman, Mr. Jonathan Daboh, expressed gratitude to the Administrator for checking the etho-religious crisis that engulfed the state in the recent past.
He assured the administrator of support and co-operation to enable him to succeed.
At Jos South council in Bukuru, Alli directed that the licences of beer parlours and liquor centres should be reviewed because some of them serve as hide outs for criminals.
He equally expressed worries that a large number of the liquor centres were operating in residential areas, adding that such places have corruptive influence on younger persons.
He added that some of the places also harbour all kinds of people, majority of who possess the penchant for perpetrating violence.
He said Jos South as a cosmopolitan council should play a greater role in fostering mutual integration to which he said was the basis for accelerating economic and social activities in the area.
He commended the council's chairman and people in the area for maintaining peace, advising them to continue in that spirit.
The chairman of the council, Mr. James Haruna, commended the Administrator for bringing peace to the state since he assumed duty and assured him of their support and loyalty.
Haruna said the council made a lot of efforts in ensuring lasting peace and called for special grants or a stoppage to certain deductions in the councils' allocations to enable it meet its salary demands.
Earlier, the Gbong Gwom Jos, Mr. Victor Pam commended the peace efforts of the Administrator.
