UTC INTIMIDATIONS LATEST
In spite of Supreme Court Ruling, Umar Sacks 3 local government chairmen
Taraba state deputy governor, Garba Umar, Tuesday sacked three local council bosses for failing to comply with an order that he (Umar) must sweep the delegates election in the November 1st ward congress polls.
They are the local government chairmen of Ussa, Donga and Kurmi local government areas. Umar’s latest action is not strange. He is the master of suicidal adventures.
First, the sacking is illegal as it is with everything in the Umar’s administration. As a matter of constitutional law, Umar (UTC) does not have the power to undertake this action. It is the House of Assembly that has the rights and powers to remove local council bosses. Even then, it must have a genuine basis for such an action. And there is a clear procedure to such issues.
Secondly, a Supreme Court ruling recently actually debars governors (or their deputies) from unilaterally sacking local government bosses.
UTC, however, is not one to obey any court orders, even if it is from the Supreme Court, as he has often boasted.
Unfortunately for Taraba people, UTC is above the law of the land. He does as he pleases and believes there are no consequences. So far, he has succeeded in proving that he can get away with any criminality.
The chairmen were sacked for their clear stand against UTC. Ussa’s chairman, David Abarshi, once even looked into the eyes of Umar to tell him the truth in a matter. Donga’s chairman, Capt. Ndatse Douglas is a Suntai loyalist who has demonstrated that he would not betray his boss.
Kurmi’s local government chairman is Mr. DC Hosea. Like the other two he has remained resolute behind Suntai.
Their latest crime however is that they refused to twist the results of the ward congress to suit UTC who desperately wanted to rig the election.
However, UTC’s latest act of defiance of law and order should not be allowed to go uncheck by the generality of the populace. He can intimidate all he can but he would never be able to conquer the Taraban spirit.
Rimam Charles
THE PROGRESSIVES