Plateau: Alli Has Exceeded His Briefs, Says PDP
From Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday reacted to the sack of Chairmen of Plateau State Government agencies and the restructuring of some ministries by the Sole Administrator, Major General Chris Alli (rtd), and said that those actions exceeded the briefs given the Sole Administrator. According to the PDP, Alli's main mandate was to ensure peace in the troubled state.
PDP National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who made the position of the party public at the end of the meeting the National Working Committee (NWC) held with a delegation of PDP officials and elders from Plateau State also disclosed that there was no constitutional basis to warrant the prosecution of the suspended governor, Chief Joshua Dariye.
Alli had on Monday announced the sack of Chairman of the State's Board of Internal Revenue, Mr. Stephen Marah, Executive Secretaries of the Christian and Muslim Welfare Boards, Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Tourism Corporation and the Chairman of the Plateau State Water Corporation.
He also announced the merger of some of the state ministries, reducing the number from 20 to 14.
Reacting to the development when a delegation of the Plateau State PDP led by its Chairman, Maichibi Vwarije paid him a visit at the party's National Secretariat, Ogbeh said Alli's restructuring of the ministries and sack of parastatals' chief executives was not part of the mandate given to him on assumption of office on May 18, 2004.
According to Ogbeh, " One of the advices and mandates we gave was that the government structures should not be tampered with. By and large, if you tamper with the structures, then of course, new comers will come and make sure that the crisis did not go away."
He said the sole administrator was directed to report to the Presidency any matter that confronts him. "If there is any development which is worrying, please do let us know, let us discuss it."
Ogbeh said the party would soon visit Plateau State to see things for itself.
The scope of the responsibility given the Administrator has been a subject of debate lately as some of his actions and that of his wife, Dorothy, are being criticised in certain quarters. One of such controversial moves by the administrator had to do with the alleged moves by his wife to float a pet project for women and youths in the state.
Obasanjo, while declaring a state of emergency on Plateau, last month said the administrator will need to take "expeditious actions' that will put the state back into a situation of peace, harmony, security for all, and maintenance of law and order throughout the state."
Though, the President did not define what such expeditious actions would be, he, however, stated that he hoped the Administrator would use the emergency period "to bring peace and join hands to promote democratic values and enshrine the values of transparency, accountability, social justice, love, good neighborliness and good governance".
On speculations that Dariye will soon face prosecution for his actions that resulted in the imposition of emergency rule in the state, Ogbeh asked, "for what offence and on what constitutional basis should he be tried."?
The PDP leader said, "We don't act on basis of sentiment, we are a country run, guided by and governed by a constitution. There is no place in the constitution where it is stated that he should face trial or prosecution. The state of emergency is enough punishment for the governor and the people. That is enough."
Ogbeh stated that PDP took the imposition of emergency rule as the sacrifice the party had to pay for the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.
The PDP chairman also ruled out chances of another governorship and state assembly election in the state. "When we hear people say that there will be another election in the state, we wonder under what constitution will the election take place. We are a nation guided by the constitution and there is no where the constitution said that there would be election after the expiration of the duration of the state of emergency," he said.
Earlier, the Plateau State suspended Commissioner for Health, Patrick Daku told reporters that the party leaders from Plateau State were in Abuja to thank Ogbeh for standing by them at the initial time of the imposition of the emergency rule. He said members of the party have pledged their co-operation with Alli.
Meanwhile, Senator Iyiola Omisore yesterday stormed the National Headquarters of PDP, where he held closed door meeting with Ogbeh.
Omisore accompanied by Osun State PDP officials arrived PDP headquarters at about 2.08 p.m. in a Lexus Jeep with registration number Senator 86 2007 among other jeep vehicles and exotic cars.
The outcome of the meeting with Ogbeh was not immediately known. Omisore also met with the Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Shuiab Oyedokun and other members of the NWC.
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