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Tag: Mutfwang

  • Jonah Jang denies advising Gov. Mutfwang to resign

    Jonah Jang denies advising Gov. Mutfwang to resign

    Sen. Jonah Jang, the former governor of Plateau has denied the allegation making the rounds that he advised Gov. Caleb Mutfwang, to resign his position as governor of the state.

    Jang denied the allegation in a statement by his Media Consultant, Mr Clinton Garuba, issued on Thursday in Jos.

    A media report attributed to one Bulus Deme and published in some national dailies alleged that Jang advised the governor to resign and give way to Nentawe Yilwatda.

    Yilwatda is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last governorship election in the state.

    But Jang, a two-term governor of Plateau described the allegation as false and merely fabricated to distract governor Mutfwang from the good works he had started in the state.

    ”It is absurd that anyone would even imagine that Jang will ever think of advising Gov. Caleb Mutfwang, who is raising the bar of governance to a new level in Plateau, to hand over to someone the people of Plateau did not vote for.

    ”It goes to say that APC is bent on taking power through the back door, but we believe our God never sleeps nor slumber and will not allow us to return to our dark days.

    ”It is unthinkable to ask a governor that has surpassed the achievement of his immediate predecessor just after six months in office to resign.

    ”For the avoidance of doubt, the entire write-up is completely false and only exist in the writer’s imagination,” Clinton quoted Jang.

    The elder statesman also expressed rude shock over the recent Appeal Court judgments that sacked Mutfwang and some members of the National Assembly from Plateau.

    Jang, who described the judgments as a ”miscarriage of justice”, called on the Supreme Court to consider the merits of the cases with a view of reversing them.

    ”Just like any well-meaning lover of democracy, I am at lost as to why the appeal court took a decision that contradicts the 2023 Electoral Act and other cases already decided by the Supreme Court.

    ”I believe that these judgements are total miscarriage of justice, but as a firm believer in the judiciary I trust that the highest court of the land will reverse this injustice,” Jang said.

    The former governor, however, appealed to the people of the state to remain calm and peaceful at all times, insisting that God will not fail the state.

  • Plateau gov, Mutfwang condemns murder of Fulani leader

    Plateau gov, Mutfwang condemns murder of Fulani leader

    Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau has condemned the murder of Ardo Adamu Gabdo, the Fulani leader of Panyam District in Mangu Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, who was killed by yet-to-be identified persons.

    Mutfwang condemned the act in a statement by his Director of Press and Public Affairs (DOPPA), Mr Gyang Bere, issued on Saturday in Jos.

    Recall that Gabdo was declared missing by security agencies on September 24.

    But his dead body was later recovered on Thursday, October 5, by troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) at Boi, a border community between Plateau and Bauchi state.

    Maj.-Gen. Abdusalam Abubakar, the Commander of OPSH, recently told stakeholders from Mangu at a meeting that it had arrested three suspects in connection with the crime.

    The governor, who condoled with the immediate family of the ardo over the huge loss, promised to support security agencies to fish out those behind the crime.

    He urged community leaders and traditional rulers at all levels to support government and security agencies in their collective efforts toward a crime-free Plateau.

    ”While we commend the efforts of OPSH for recovering the body of the murdered Ardo, we want to appeal to all residents of our state to be law-abiding.

    ”All criminal acts should be reported to security agencies for swift action.

    ”We are committed to upholding the rule of law in addressing all forms of criminal activities in the state,” the governor said.

    Mutfwang promised to be fair and just to all citizens, irrespective of tribe or religious background.

    The governor further reiterated his determination to introduce policies and programmes that would foster sustainable peace, progress, and prosperity in the state.

  • Mutfwang urges RMAFC to resolve contentious issues on stamp duties

    Mutfwang urges RMAFC to resolve contentious issues on stamp duties

    Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau has tasked the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to resolve the contentious issue of stamp duties for the progress of the nation.

    Mutfwang made the call when a delegation from the commission led by the Federal Commissioner of Jigawa, Mrs Hauwa Aliyu visited him in Jos.

    The governor urged the commission to shore up efforts in resolving the contentious issue of stamp duties for the progress of the nation.

    He commended RMAFC on its efforts to block revenue leakages in the country.

    He said that their performance would justify the purpose of establishing it to monitor accruals into and disbursement of revenue from the federation Account as required by extant laws.

    The governor implored them to also perform their constitutional duties of reviewing some of the streams of revenue in the country for appropriate action.

    “The commission has been able to also block some leakages and ensure that some critical revenues that are hidden are brought out into the common purse to be shared,” he said.

    He said that Plateau was among the states that have adopted the Open Government Partnership to ensure transparency and accountability in its disbursement of revenue and other administrative duties.

    “We(Plateau) are one of the states that have signed on to the Open Government Partnership and we believe in transparency.

    “ Therefore, we would welcome you to look into our books.

    “Be rest assured that all the relevant Ministries Department and Agencies(MDAs) have been given the necessary instructions to ensure that they cooperate and collaborate with you so that you can be able to carry out your exercise,” he said.

    Mutfwang implored the commission to share useful information on revenue matters to the state government, to enable it comply to laid down directives.

    “We hope that we will continue to benefit from information sharing.

    “ So that we will do exactly what is due to us as a state and to find some ease in trying to ensure that those revenues accrue as at when due,” he said.

    Speaking, Aliyu said that the visit to Plateau was in respect of its Monitoring and Recovery Exercise on Tax Liabilities owed by states, MDAS and Local Government Councils.

    She said that a monitoring exercise conducted by the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the office of the Accountant General of the Federation in 2021, established liabilities against the Federal, State and Local Government.

    She said the liabilities were established against Plateau of more than ₦504 million in respect to default in the payment of Withholding Tax , Value Added Tax and Stamp Duties Agreements.

    She said that the visit to the governor was to sought for the cooperation of his officials in providing the necessary documents to ensure the success of the exercise.

    In 2022, controversies emerged between the federal government and labour union over who has the responsibility to collect stamp duties charge.

    The Finance Act which was recently signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari, had given the responsibility of collecting stamp duties charges to the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, instead of the Nigeria Postal Service, NIPOST, before now performed the function.

    The alleged stripping of NIPOST of the responsibility to collect stamp duties charges has not gone down well with Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies, SSASCGOC, an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, which has viewed the development as a usurpation of its statutory duty by another agency of government.

    The 36 state governors on Sept 3, resolved to demand for the payment of stamp duties from President Bola Tinubu’s administration in line with their agreement with Buhari,

    The governors argued that the trillions of naira that have accumulated from the payment of stamp duties would cushion the effects of petrol subsidy removal better than the “token” being given to the states by the federal government as palliatives.

    NAN

  • Plateau Attacks: Mutfwang directs security agencies to hunt perpetrators

    Plateau Attacks: Mutfwang directs security agencies to hunt perpetrators

    Gov Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau has directed security agencies in the state to fish out perpetrators of attacks on some communities in Mangu Local government.

    The governor’s directive is contained in a statement issued by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Mr Gyang Bere, on  Friday in Jos.

    He condemned the brutal attacks on the innocent people in Mper of Bwai and Kogul community of Panyam, in Mangu Local Government Area by suspected bandits, and urged the agencies to bring them to face the full wrath of the law.

    He expressed sadness over the continuous attacks on communities in the state and said that the motive for the destruction of  houses and property, worth millions of naira, was unacceptable.

    He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to explore all available legal avenues to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly acts.

    He said that his administration was mapping out strategies to ensure an end to the cycle of attacks and killings in the state and sought the cooperation of security agencies and Plateau people in achieving this goal.

    Mutfwang who sympathised with the communities which had lost their loved ones in the attacks, urged them to take solace in God as there are concerted efforts to end the protracted killings.

    He prayed for the speedy recovery for those injured and restated his determination to prioritise the pursuit of sustainable peace and unity in the state.

  • Plateau APC kicks against Mutfwang’s N15bn loan request

    Plateau APC kicks against Mutfwang’s N15bn loan request

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau has kicked against Gov. Caleb Mutfwang’s request to the State House of Assembly for approval to acquire an N15 billion loan.

    Mutfwang’s communication was read by the assembly  Speaker, Moses Sule, during Thursday’s plenary, which was the first sitting of the 10th Assembly.

    Mutfwang explained that the loan would be used to clear backlog of civil servants salary arrears and acquire farm inputs for farmers.

    The approval was granted by the lawmakers at the plenary.

    But the APC in a statement by its spokesperson, Mr Sylvanus Namang, said that as a critical stakeholder in the Plateau project, they seriously objected to the loan because the governor did not follow due process.

    Namang said that PDP’s two-third majority in the Plateau State House of Assembly was not a licence for recklessness and arbitrariness which if left unchecked, Plateau would be worse for more turbulent days ahead.

    According to him, the reasons advanced for the loan were as unconvincing as they were not tenable.

    “Government is a continuum and the past dispensation had made adequate budgetary provisions for payment of workers’ salaries and very essential products like fertilizers, given the fact that Plateau was largely an agrarian state.

    “This bogus N15 billion loan approval is particularly more worrisome because for a loan to be collected, certain steps are clearly spelt out in the Plateau State Debt Management Law.

    “The steps must be duly and deligently followed before any financial institution,  local or foreign can consider.

    “First, the  State Debt Management Advisory Committee must sit to discuss the purpose and necessity of the loan for the state.

    “Furthermore, Plateau cannot operate as if we are under a military junta where things are done by fiat.

    “For a serious issue as loan acquisition of this magnitude, the  State  Executive Council must approve such loan before forwarding to the House of Assembly for deliberation,” he pointed out.

    He further said that the council’s approval must be transmitted to the House of Assembly for their discussion and approval which cannot be passed as was done at its very first formal sitting as members of the 10th House of Assembly.

    He added that mandatorily, such approvals by the State Executive Council and the House of Assembly would then be forwarded to the ministry of Finance and the debt management department to further process.

    Namang stated that to the best of their knowledge, there was no state executive council as what is on ground is the governor, his deputy and the attorney general and that the debt advisory committee was also not constituted.

  • Plateau councillors fault suspension by Mutfwang, describe move as illegal

    Plateau councillors fault suspension by Mutfwang, describe move as illegal

    The  National Councillors Forum of Nigeria (NCFN) in Plateau have described the suspension of 325 local government councillors in the state as illegal.

    The forum’s disapproval is contained in a statement issued by the state Chairman in Plateau, Mr John Dabit in Jos.

    Gov. Caleb Mutfwang had on May 31 suspended all democratic structures in the 17 Local Governments Areas following recommendations of the Plateau House of Assembly.

    The forum kicked against the suspension describing their positions in office in line with democratic stipulations.

    ‘’All the 325 councillors who constitute the Legislative Councils allegedly suspended in the 17 Local Government Areas of Plateau emerged from a democratic election conducted according to the provisions of Section 7(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section 7(2).

    ”The action of the governor is a clear violation of the constitution, State and Local Government Law and the decision of several courts including the supreme court,’’ he said.

    The forum noted that the governor who is a lawyer should be privy to the decision of the Supreme Court regarding the dissolution of the elected structures at the local government.

    “We hereby reject the resolution passed recommending or advising our suspension by the Plateau  House of Assembly and its purported approval by the Governor,’’ he said.

    The councillors therefore urged Mutfwang to rescind his decision in the interest of justice and the rule of law.

    The forum said that the action would foster harmonious and collaborative function of the state and local government for the progress of Plateau and the benefit of the masses.

  • Governor-elect, Mutfwang condemns Plateau killings

    Governor-elect, Mutfwang condemns Plateau killings

    Mr Caleb Mutfwang, the Plateau Governor-elect, has condemned the killing of six persons at Farin lamba community in Jos South Local Government Area of the state

    Mutfwang, in a statement on Thursday in Jos, tasked security agencies to fish out perpetrators of the evil deed and bring them to justice.

    The statement was signed by Gyang Bere, the governor-elect’s Special Assistant on Media. He

    ”We condemn this attack in totality and appeal to security agencies to fish out the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

    ”We call on security personnel to do all within their power to halt further attacks on our communities; we cannot afford to allow acts of impunity to continue against peace-loving people,” the statement said.

    Muftwang appealed to Plateau residents to remain peaceful at all times, and report any suspicious movement in their vicinities to security agencies for prompt action.

    The governor-elect commiserated with those who lost loved ones, but advised residents against taking laws into their hands.