The indigenous people of Jos North LGA, Afizere, Anaguta and Berom (AFIANABER) show concern over the recent process primaries of the APC for the position of Chairman in Jos North Local Government.
They Youth call on governor Lalong and PLASIEC to stop the forth coming Local Government Election in jos North due to the imposition of Hon Shehu Bala as the candidate of APC in Jos North for the interest of peace and justice, they made their position known during a press conference and expressed disappointment on the way and manner Shehu Bala was imposed on them, several other contestants bought nomination forms for the poll but unfortunately Shehu Bala was selected without primaries like it was done in other LGA’s, the decision was not fair to the indigenous people of Jos North, for the interest of justice and peace a Primary Election should be conducted to select a Candidate or Election should not be conducted in Jos North.
Below is the full Press Statement:
Text of a press conference, delivered by Afizere, Anaguta and Berom Youths (AFIANABER) Jos North L.G.A. on Thursday 1st October, 2021.
Gentlemen of the press, we bring greetings to you.
We must commend the role you are playing in strengthening democracy via your informative and educative reportage and it is highly appreciated. It has become imperative for us to address you and the entire world on the unfortunate political catastrophe which has befallen Jos north, our dear local government. This has to do with the recent party primaries of the APC that was supposed to have been conducted to select flag bearers of the party for the upcoming Local Government Election in the state. While primaries were being conducted in other local government areas, the process was postponed in Jos North by the party basically because of insecurity among other reasons.
To our greatest consternation, as we were keenly waiting for a new date, news started filtering in the air that Hon. Shehu Bala has been selected as the flag bearer of the party. It is very instructive to note here that three indigenes comprising of Afizere, Anaguta and Berom all bought the APC nomination forms were aspiring for the Chairmanship ticket, the following person purchase the nomination forms: Hon Theresa Azi, Hon Rapp Pam and Hon. Ezekiel Shina all natives of Jos North. The reasons for the undemocratic selection of Shehu Bala, a non indigene against the other three indigenous aspirants have not been communicated to us by the party or any of our representative in government.
Whatever such reasons might be is biased, unjustifiable, unfair, cruel, harsh and is totally unacceptable to us as owners of the land. We the indigenous tribes of Jos do not just see it as an affront on our collective psyche but an insult which we shall not fold our arms and allow to continue. To the best of our knowledge, there was no APC primary elections in Jos North either through direct or indirect primaries. There was no even consensus as is enshrined in the APC constitution as the three indigenous communities were neither consulted nor carried along.
The Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) should take note of our stance in view of such illegality and injustice against our people. For any election to take place in Jos north, there must be transparency, justice and fairness to produce a government of the people and not a government of imposition. Government of Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong hinged on the mantra of rescue, should come to our rescue in Jos North.
Hon. Shehu Usman Bala contested for the position of chairman in Jos North having served for more than two years as the management Committee secretary under the chairmanship of Hon. Theresa Azi. He was later elected as the APC flag bearer in 2018 and later again appointed as the management committee chairman of Jos North L.G.C for about two (2) years now. His appointment was faced with stiff resistance by the three indigenous tribes of Jos North L.G.A. But there was a quick intervention by the Governor through the Secretary to the State Government Professor Danladi Atu and Five (5) commissioners from Northern zone were part of the meeting. After an exhaustive deliberation, they assured us that the appointment will last for only 3 months only, after which the appointment of the Jos north chairman shall be rotated on a quarterly basis amongst the three tribes. That was after they have threatened to send armed bikers to go and shoot at sight any protester. As we are addressing you now, the Shehu Bala spent almost two years in office.
Governor Simon Bako Lalong should rescue us from the mal administration of Hon. Shehu Usman Bala, which was characterize by issuing indigene certificates to Hausas, Fulanis and other non-indigenes; nonpayment of staff salaries and allerge illegal sales of Local Government Properties, and assets as well as supervising and encouragement of land grabbing. Hon. Shehu Bala and his political god fathers in Jos how are not serving for unity of the indigenes and residents of Jos North L.G.A. but for their own selfish and personal interests. We made all efforts to interface with our major stakeholders to caution them of the impending danger of imposing Shehu Bala on us again this time around, and to remind them of the promise made about the quarterly rotation of the chairmanship, but has not yielded fruit. Only God knows for how long they shall continue to avoid us.
We are also aware of a purported unfortunate press conference by a kangaroo group of desperate Youths claiming to be Association of Ethnic Nationalities in Jos North LGA Plateau State. Our investigation revealed that they were sponsored by Shehu Bala and his campaign team with the desire of causing confusion and instability within the rank and file of the three tribes thereby scoring cheap political goals. Those impostors do not have anything to do with Ethnic Nationalities in Jos North and beyond as claimed. We wish to state categorically Clear that the leadership of Ethnic Nationalities in Jos north and its congress did not by anyway endorsed the candidature of any political Party in Jos North LGA election not to talk of the candidature of Shehu Bala and Ezekiel Shina. We advice those so called group of imposters, greedy and desperate politicians who want to destabilize the unity of the three tribes and other Ethnic Nationalities in Jos to decease from their act for the interest of peace and tranquility.
As a matter of fact, any individual or groups of Youths parading themselves as Ethnic Nationalities of Jos North that endorses any candidate against the wish of the people are doing that at their detriment because any action may be taking against such persons. Therefore, nobody should drag the good image of the entire Afizere, Anaguta and Berom into their greedy, evil and destructive Agenda. However, as officials, leaders, stakeholders and members of the Three tribes and other Ethnic Nationalities in Jos North and the coalition of Ethnic Nationalities in Plateau North and the State as a whole are saddened to have such members in our community which we consider them as seeds of destruction.
We want the whole world to know that local governance Is about meeting and fulfilling the yearnings, wishes and aspirations of the locals in a democratic setting and there is no way that can be achieved when the indigenes are systematically and unjustly schemed out of the process.
Our demands:
1. We the indigenes of Jos north want elections to be conducted as things stand now, what is about to happen is purely unfair imposition rather than election and we advice that imposition of Shehu Bala should not come to reality. We are therefore calling on PLASIEC to stop the process of conducting Local Government Elections in Jos North LGA in the interest of peace. This will prevent the previous antecedent where the right thing was not done and it resulted to the lost of lives and properties.
2. APC should fix a new date and conduct a free, fair and credible primary election to those that purchased forms for the Chairmanship and Councillorship positions in Jos North for fairness, equity and justice.
3.Henceforth, all political appointments in Jos North LGA, should be based on equity and fairness.
4.We call on the Elders of Plateau State to intervene on this deliberate destruction of our heritage and rescue us from this calamity.
In this regard, for the sake of peace justice and equity in Jos North. 5.We therefore call on the of Plateau State Governor His Exccellency RT Hon. Simon Bako Lalong KSGG the Champion of Rescue administration to as a matter of urgency, rescue us from the excesses of some of our political stakeholders who are bent toward mortgaging our future and the future of Jos North LGA for their personal gain.
In conclusion, we are optimistic that the Governor will listen to our cry and rescue us and the generations yet on born. We want to state without mincing words that we will continue to agitate on these issues until the right thing is done.
Long live Jos North L.G.A.,
Long live Plateau State
Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Signed
Cmr. Joseph Arin Izang(JP) Chairman Afizere Youth Movement
Cmr. Moses Dawang President Anaguta Youth Movement Jos North
Cmr. Yakubu Dung Pam Chairman Berom Youth Moulders Jos North
