Former Governor of Plateau State and Senator representing Plateau South in the National Assembly, Simon Lalong has lamented that seven months after he resigned as a Minister, Plateau State has no replacement in the Federal Executive Council.

Lalong, the leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Plateau State spoke on Monday during the APC stakeholders’ meeting held at the Party Secretariat in Jos, the State capital.

He also called on the Members of the State House of Assembly to immediately swear in the remaining six APC members who are yet to be sworn in after the Appeal court returned them as winners of the 2023 House of Assembly election.

His words, “I thank God for this great gathering. We are here because we love the Party. We are not a party of injustice. When we received notice that they were going to prepare for the local government election as usual, they wanted to do it, as we were doing when we were in government.

“To think that there was no APC on the Plateau. We saw our people moving back to their various wards and fighting to occupy these offices at the ward and the chairmanship levels. What will keep us is the local government election.

“We must remain steadfast in our Party to support our President. If he fails today, we have failed. But if he succeeds, we have succeeded. All of us are concerned that it is not fair that the Plateau State will remain for seven months without a Minister.

“I’ve communicated that to even Mr. President that it is not fair. Whatever is stopping us, I want that to be removed because we are entitled to it. I know the President is a democrat, I am sure he will do something about it.”

On the House of Assembly issue, he stated, “There is nothing I have not done, we are all legislators. I was a Speaker; I was a Governor. It is the Speaker who inaugurates Members.

“Each time we go, they will say, it is your House of Assembly. Now, which House of Assembly do we have? … We have written to the Inspector-General of Police, and he said if you are ready, he will deploy the Police. I appeal to you, if our members are qualified, in the next sitting, invite them to be inaugurated…”

The Senator equally urged the State Assembly to return the suspended local government Chairmen to the offices in the 17 LGAs.

He stressed, “It was the House of Assembly that chased them out through a resolution. We want the House of Assembly to return our chairmen to their seats…”

Earlier, the Party Chairman, Rufus Bature who welcomed the stakeholders said, “… For the umpteenth time, reiterate our call for the appointment of a Minister from Plateau State, and more other appointments, so that the people will continue to be more supportive of the Party.”

He however added that “one thing that has been a major concern to us in the leadership, is lack of funds to discharge our duties more efficiently and effectively.”

Among the major stakeholders at the meeting were the Senator representing Plateau Central, Diket Plang, former Senator representing Plateau South, Nora Dadu’ut, Member representing Mikang/Shendam/Qua’an Pan federal constituency, John Dafa’an, Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly, Isa Ajiji, and others. (Vanguard)

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