Governors Forum Crisis: Fashola Sues Jang To Court

The fight for the control of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum between Rivers Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and Plateau Governor, Jonah Jang, took a different turn on Friday as pro-Ameachi governors, represented by Lagos Governor, Babatunde Fashola, went to court to stop Jang from parading himself as the chairman of the NGF.

Fashola, who filed the suit at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in his capacity as a member of the forum, asked the court to declare that Jang is not competent to be called the elected chairman of the NGF.

Apart from Jang, other defendants in the suit are the Director-General of the NGF, Asishana Okauru; the Sole Administrator purportedly appointed by Jang, Osaro Onaiwu, and the Registered Trustees of the NGF vested with the power to administer and manage the trusts of the NGF.

In the writ of summons filed by a former Lagos Attorney General, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) and former West African Bar Association President, Femi Falana (SAN), Fashola maintained that 35 governors participated in the election that returned Amaechi as the NGF chairman.

He, therefore, asked the court to stop Jang from parading himself “as the elected chairman of the NGF in any manner whatsoever and howsoever.”

Fashola is also seeking a declaration that the first defendant (Jang) is not competent to relocate the secretariat of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum from No. 1, Deng Xiaoping Street, Off AIT Junction, Asokoro Extension, Abuja to No. 2, Nana Close, by Ene Crescent, Off Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja or to any other place.

The plaintiff revealed that Okauru had been under pressure from Jang to handover the assets and documents of the NGF to him (Jang).

He therefore asked the court to declare that Okauru “is not competent to handover the assets and documents of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to the first defendant, his agents, privies and servants in any manner whatsoever and howsoever.”

Apart from these, the Lagos State governor also asked the court to declare that the second defendant (Okauru) is not competent to use the name Nigeria Governors’ Forum in respect of any other organisation which does not have the 36 governors as members and/or in any other manner inconsistent with the constitution of the governors’ forum.

He is also seeking an Order of Perpetual Injunction restraining Okauru from handing over the property and documents of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to Jang, his agents, privies and servants in any manner whatsoever and howsoever.

In addition to these, Fashola asked for, “an Order of Injunction restraining the third defendant from parading himself as the Sole Administrator of the forum in any manner whatsoever and howsoever.”

In the statement of claim, Fashola stated that he would rely on the NGF’s registered constitution at the trial.

He averred that the election into the post of the chairman of the NGF took place at the Rivers State Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja on Friday, May 25, 2013.

“The governors of Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara states took part in the said election.

“The four candidates who submitted nomination forms for the election were the governors of Bauchi, Katsina, Plateau and Rivers states. The nomination forms will be relied upon at the trial of this suit. Before the said election, the governors of Bauchi and Katsina states withdrew from the election leaving the contest for the governors of Plateau and Rivers states. Thereafter, the 35 governors voted for the candidates of their choice.

“At the end of the voting, the Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, scored 19 votes while his rival, the Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Jonah Jang, scored 16 votes.

“Consequently, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State was declared the winner of the election. At the trial of this suit, the plaintiff will rely on the video recording of the election which has been broadcast by the AIT and Channels Television stations.”

The Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, told SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday that pro-Amaechi governors were fully behind Fashola.

Speaking through his Commissioner for Special Duties and Regional Integration, Mr. Ajibola Basiru, Aregbesola said Fashola, as a member of the NGF, had the right to challenge any illegality by the forum.

Aregbesola said, “Any action to further entrench democracy is supported by Osun. This suit is one of such actions. Jang’s action is ridiculous. Recent developments have shown that he didn’t win the election.

“When he wanted to inaugurate the forum’s secretariat in Abuja, he sent invitation cards to governors and only 16 governors, including himself, honoured the invitation. If you truly won an election and you feel you are being denied your mandate, you go to court. You don’t resort to self-help.”

Similarly, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State said he was fully in support of his Lagos State counterpart action’s to stop the pro-Jang governors from operating through the court action.

Fayemi, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, said Amaechi won the NGF election which was credible and that the opening of another secretariat was illegal.

He said, “Mr. Governor is fully in support of the court action. He is aware of it and he is throwing his weight behind Governor Fashola on this matter.”

Reacting to Fashola’s court action, the Secretary to the Plateau State Government, Prof. Shedrack Best, said if pro-Amaechi governors were in the majority, there was no need for a law suit.

“If Governor Fashola claims that his camp has the majority, he does not need to go to court. Let him call them and showcase them.”

Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, who is in Jang’s camp, also said governors were free to stop being members of the forum “because it is a free association.”

He said, “We are not proud of what has happened. We are saying we must sit for what is just. It is an association of equals. It is a voluntary association. Anybody can pull out without any consequences.

“A situation where a chairman of a forum of equals decided to contest election while holding the position is not right.

“Some of us argue that he (Amaechi) was there by consensus and we expected that he should step down. Immediately he indicated his interest, I said he must dissolve the house then elect a pro tem chairman. Yes, it has always been a consensus issue and we know that the PDP endorsed Jang. If somebody planted a camera somewhere because it was his own house or because of lack of respect for others,  it is too bad.”

Efforts to speak with the Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Olisa Metuh, on Friday were futile. When one of our correspondents called him on the phone, there was no response from Metuh. Subsequent calls made to his phone were not picked.

Jang who is believed to have the backing of President Goodluck Jonathan had lost the chairmanship election to Amaechi by 19 votes to 16.

He, however, refused to accept defeat and instead proclaimed himself as the authentic chairman of the forum.

Jang also appointed a sole administrator in place of the director-general of the forum.

Few days after Amaechi won the election with the support of opposition governors, the PDP suspended him as its member.

Jang’s faction of the NGF also opened a parallel secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.

Source: Punch 

http://universalreporters247.blogspot.com/2013/06/governors-forum-crisis-fashola-sues.html?spref=fb

Jonah Jang and the "phantom chair"

by Emmanuel Onwubiko

Events in the last few days in the political firmament of Nigeria clearly show that our so-called new breed politicians have not learnt any lessons from the nation's political experiences right from the first Republic when the same politicians through their greed and wanton disrespect for democratic tenets invited the military to destabilise the nascent democracy.

These political shenanigans and reactionary attitudes that reared its ugly head in the last few days reached a considerable crescendo with the petty squabbles that characterised the outcome of the hotly contested position of chairman of the controversial Nigerian Governors' Forum (NGF).

In that election which took place at the weekend in Abuja, one person among the 36 State governors was expected to emerge to occupy the single chair of the chairman of the Governors Forum but at the end of the exercise two men emerged to claim the right to seat on that 'single chair'.

What emerged from the venue of that election is that the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi was re-elected and therefore is the bona fide leader of the Nigerian Governors' Forum. But the oldest man among the governors and the Plateau State helmsman Jonah Jang, a retired military officer who benefitted twice from some coup plotters to emerge as military governor, has also emerged as the second claimant to the chair of the Nigerian Governors' Forum but not without the groundswell of opinion that he indeed is occupying a 'phantom chair' since the bureaucrats at the Governors' Forum have indeed declared the Rivers State governor as the duly elected chairman.

There are two strands of opinions from this election which are diametrically opposed to each other and each of the proponents are holding on to their divisive positions regarding the accuracy of who indeed is the chairman of the Nigerian Governors' Forum.

Nigeria's most media 'friendly' Governor of Akwa Ibom State and a lawyer of several years of post call, Obong Godswill Akpabio, who was previously handpicked as chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party's Governors' Forum is at the head of those governors championing the claim that Jonah Jang is the rightful occupant of the chair of the Nigerian Governors' Forum.

Others who have supported him but are not active members of his political platform are the Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko and the Anambra State governor Mr. Peter Obi. But the illogicality in their claim is that those who went into political battle and got bruised cannot at the same time lay claim to impartiality and therefore cannot be seen to play the role of an unbiased umpire. So their claim falls flat on its face irredeemably.

The second strand of argument led by the Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi is the one that maintains that the Rivers State governor is the real and only winner and therefore the rightful occupant of the only chair of the Nigerian Governors' Forum.

This opinion finds favour with critics and other independent stakeholders who believe that since their claim corresponds factually and substantially with the position of the unbiased umpire and the Executive Director of the Nigerian Governors' Forum, it is therefore very likely that they are right.

An interesting dimension is that Jonah Jang's occupation of what looks like a 'phantom' chair is said to have been endorsed by the Abuja Headmaster and the President of the Federal Republic Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who was in Ethiopia to celebrate the golden jubilee of the African Union. From Ethiopia, the President was quoted conspicuously in the media as saying that his name brings 'good luck' to Nigeria.

The trouble I have in accepting this presidential verdict of goodluck is that his candidate for the Nigerian Governors' Forum headship [Jonah Jang] did not seem to have benefitted from the 'good luck' that flows from our President's name [whatever that means].

Back to the issues relating to the actual election, Nigerians were told by the returning and/or presiding officer and the head of the forum's bureaucracy, at the election that Governor Amaechi of Rivers State defeated Jonah Jang of Plateau with 19 votes to 16.

However, Jang's supporters said the entire body of PDP governors endorsed the candidacy of Jonah Jang prior to the election. But elementary logic and common sense tell us that endorsement prior to actual election is different from the real election. For instance, before the kickoff of the European football league championship in Wembley Stadium in England between Bayern Munich and Borusia Dortmund, all of Germany and some of us endorsed Borusia Dortmund and prayed fervently that the team emerges victorious but our hope faded when Bayern Munich defeated our endorsed team. Do we then cry blue murder because our beloved and endorsed team did not win?

Who told the PDP governors that in secret balloting, some of those who had consented to a group accord may not betray the consensus and go for their own consciences instead because they are not robotic items to be remote controlled from somewhere?

My sincere advice to governor Jang who is called "Baba" (meaning father) by his political supporters in Plateau is that he should fully concentrate on governing Plateau State given that the beautiful state of Plateau has more than its own fair share of troubles. Inter-ethnic and inter-religious crises are tearing that most beautiful State in Nigeria apart even as terrorists have severally targeted Plateau State because of what it represents in the North. Plateau is home to the largest Christian and ethnic minority population in Northern Nigeria and is therefore a target for destabilisation by anarchists who parade as religious fundamentalists of the opposing religion to the dominant religion of the people of Plateau State.

Please Baba Jonah Jang govern Plateau well and leave the political intrigues of Nigerian Governors' Forum alone for young men to contend with. When young men are engaged in hot debates, it is a sacrilege to find an elder statesman also take side in such argument because this biased intervention may rob off on his good reputation as a statesman who should remain as completely detached and unbiased as he possibly can.

Although the President through his spokesperson has denied nursing ambition to crown his own stooge as chairman of Nigerian Governors' Forum, the fact that Jonah Jang proceeded to pay a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa to meet with the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, whereupon he was introduced as chairman of Nigerian Governors' Forum clearly shows that President Jonathan has interest in the entire scenario.

The opposition Action Congress of Nigeria has raised alarm that the rejection of the result of the election of the Nigerian Governors' Forum by the Peoples Democratic Party is a dangerous dress rehearsal of what will happen in the much talked about 2015 election.

My take is this: President Jonathan has pledged to conduct free and fair general elections in 2015 even though he hasn't indicated if he will participate as a presidential candidate or not.

I am prepared to give Mr. President the benefit of the doubt. The Peoples Democratic Party or indeed the opposition political platform must know that Nigerians will spontaneously embark on revolutionary revolts should the electoral commission deny the majority of Nigerians, the fruit of a transparent outcome of the 2015 election.

by Emmanuel Onwubiko

http://www.viewpointnigeria.com/index.php

JANG COMMISSIONS NEW NGF SECRETARIAT

The Governor Jonah Jang faction of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, has commissioned its secretariat in the Maitama District of Abuja.

The secretariat, a butter colour two-storey building, located at No 2, Nana Street, Maitama District, was officially opened by Mr. Jang, Plateau State Governor, and his self-appointed NGF Vice Chairman, Olusegun Mimiko, the Ondo State Governor.

Altogether, 14 state governors and two deputies were present at the event. The governors present include those of Kaduna, Kogi, Abia, Katsina, Ondo, Plateau, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Delta, Ebonyi and Taraba States. The deputy governors present were those of Benue and Gombe States.

NGF, an association of the 36 state governors in Nigeria was fictionalized Friday, 24 May 2013, when 18 governors refused to accept the re-election of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State as chairman. Mr. Amaechi defeated Mr. Jang  by 19 votes to 16 to emerge chairman.

Vice President Namadi Sambo was not present as expected.

http://premiumtimesng.com/?p=136983

WHO IS AFTER KAZE?

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/who-after-kaze-/148756/ 28 May 2013

Hon. Bitrus Kaze

Allegations of planned assassination of a member of the House of Representatives from Plateau State, Hon. Bitrus Kaze, has elicited a growing concern in the state, writes Seriki Adinoyi

The House of Representatives member from Jos South/Jos Eastconstituency, Hon. Bitrus Kaze, is unarguably one of the most audacious representatives from the state in the National Assembly. His penchant for defending the oppressed, especially the Plateau people that he represents can hardly be faulted. No wonder the people of his constituency returned him to the House with an overwhelming support in the 2011 elections.

On several occasions, Kaze had protested the injustice done to his constituency, and the general public. On several times, he had resigned his appointment as deputy chairman, House committee on Climate Change in protest of the injustice done to his people during
the period Plateau suffered repeated crises. Kaze once disagreed with the leadership of the House when he accused it of taking side in the sectarian crisis in Jos, the Plateau State capital. He noted that the then Speaker, Dimeji Bankole and his Deputy, Nafada had attended to the Jos crisis in such manner that put to question, their neutrality.

Kaze had also stood his ground to challenge the Major General Maina-led Special Task Force (STF) over its alleged complicity in the
Jos crisis that saw hundreds of his people dead in its wake. “It has done incalculable damage to the image of the military and particularly the Special Task Force (STF) on the Plateau,” he said at the time. Interestingly, when the need arose to commend the military, Kaze did not hold back. He said there were commendable traits in the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Azubike Ihejirika and the then General Officer Commanding, 3, Division, Jos, Major General Sunday Idoko, “for the different approaches their regime gave the Jos crisis”.

His approach to issues was blunt, irrespective of who was involved. All he wanted was justice. This informed why he once said “it would be better that I don’t eat throughout a day than to see injustice done to any people and refuse to condemn it.” His constituents, and indeed the Plateau people love him for this.

They have repeatedly identified him as one of the trusted voices the state has in the National Assembly. But to him, he was just doing what he was elected to do.

Unfortunately, this may have come with a price. His recent stand against amnesty for the Boko Haram sect was probably one of the reasons he has continued to attract the rage of some Northern elders, who had canvassed amnesty for the sect. “The call, coming at a time when security reports from terrorists’ training camps in Mali have established links between Boko Haram and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the advocacy for amnesty in favour of Boko Haram offends the Nigerian Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011, which provides for effective implementation of the several international conventions on the Prevention, Financing and Combating of Terrorism to which Nigeria is a signatory,” he said.

He cited the constitution as making provision for the security and welfare of the people as the primary focus of government. “President Goodluck Jonathan has an obligation to enforce all international conventions on terrorism, none of which provides for amnesty to terrorists.” He noted that the terrorist group itself had declined amnesty and queried why the Sultan and the Northern Governors Forum kept crying more than the bereaved.

Rather than worry about the over 3,000 families that had been murdered by the Islamic sect, Kaze was worried that the Northern Governors Forum was concerned only about the pioneer leader of the sect, late
Mohammed Yusuf.

“Unsatisfied with the whooping N100m compensation paid to the family of the late Mohammed Yusuf alone, the Northern Governors Forum has recommended that the protracted court case against the suspected killers of the pioneer Boko Haram leader should be brought to a quick determination, without making any mention, whatsoever, of the over 3000 families across the nation, whose kith and kin had been brutally murdered by Mohammed Yusuf and his disciples.”

But since racing against the Sultan and the Northern governors, the lawmaker claimed not to have known peace. He was immediately
challenged by a prince of the Caliphate and a serving Senator of the federal Republic, Senator Maccido, who warned Kaze not speak about the Sultan in such a manner.

“I am telling him in strong words that he should either retract his words or apologise in person to the Sultan. I will also repeat it that he should be careful with his statement.” But Kaze would not yield to this and indeed, other warnings because he believed that the right must be done and the wrong, condemned irrespective of who was behind it.

What thereafter followed was the allegation by people on the aegis of Vigilant Democrats that Kaze narrowly escaped assassination in Jos. The group had raised the alarm, saying that the enemies of peace in Plateau had upgraded terror tactics aimed at plunging the state into more confusion. They also alleged that over 30 foreign trained kidnappers and assassins had been deployed into Jos and environs. Spokesman of the  group, Jonathan Pwajok,  said the targets of the mercenaries are traditional and political leaders in the state including the Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Buba Gyang;  the Gwom Rwei of Barkin Ladi, the chairman of Barkin Ladi Emmauel Loman and any of Governor Jonah Jang’s sons, particularly Yakubu and of course, Kaze.

“We are aware that between 1pm and 2pm on the 22nd of April, a gang of hired assassins acting on a tip-off from two prominent politicians in Jos trailed Hon. Bitrus Kaze in an unmarked Brown Vectra car from his house to UTC Junction, along Murtala Mohammed way, Jos. All the four occupants of the brown Vectra except one were foreign nationals; three of them were armed with FN assault rifles and were on a mission to Kidnap and subsequently assassinate him (Kaze).

“The assassins set out from a place of worship in Rafin Pa and were able to track Hon Kaze’s car with the help of the former local
government chieftain, who monitored and reported his movements to the assassins shortly after he (Kaze) drove out of his house. They had copy of the official number plate of the car Kaze was driving.”

According to the group, it was by sheer providence that the lawmaker escaped the assassins when he drove to the military checkpoint at the UTC Junction along Murtala Mohammed Way, where he packed and remained inside his car for over 20 minutes, not knowing that the assassins were trailing him.

The group, therefore, condemned “the callous attempt to permanently shut out and silence our elected leaders,” adding that it was barely one year when the state was thrown into mourning after the brutal murder of two of its prominent sons: Senator Gyang Dangtong and Hon Gyang Fulani.

While appreciating the efforts of the security operatives in the state in protecting lives and properties, Vigilant Democrats said it was baffled “how an unmarked car, with occupants armed to the teeth, could traverse the city of Jos from Rafin Pa at Corner Shagari to as far as UTC Junction brandishing weapons without being detected and arrested notwithstanding the numerous military check points. Though he was lucky to have escaped, he is now being cautioned him to tread carefully to avoid being attacked. But Kaze who differed would rather express himself than watch things go awry.

NGF CHAIRMANSHIP ELECTIONS - FAYEMI, EKITI STATE GOV's STATEMENT

Culled from Sahara Reporters

Pro-Jonathan Governors

The attention of the leadership of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has been drawn to the distortion of the events leading to the election of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State as Chairman of the Forum at its election held in Abuja on Friday.
 
We are particularly worried about the deliberate misrepresentation of events at the election in the media by some members of the Forum in the bid to justify the setting up of a parallel group, following the defeat of Governor Jonah Jang in the keenly contested chairmanship election.
 
While we are not interested in joining issues with the Pro-Jang group in their smear campaign in the media, we feel compelled to correct some of the negative impressions being created in the minds of unsuspecting members of the public through a pot pourri of fabricated stories and outright lies.
 
It is on record that all the 35 governors present voted and there is an electronic evidence of this, and Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan served as the Returning Officer in the Friday election that produced Governor Amaechi as chairman of NGF.
 
Whereas the pro-Jang group had reportedly premised their position on earlier endorsement of Governor Jang’s candidature by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum and the Northern Governors Forum, it suffices to state without any fear of contradiction that endorsement of a candidate does not translate to actual votes in any election.
 
And even if they want to claim it as the result of the election, how come it was originally dated April and  contained the names of Governor Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe State and Governor Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State who were absent ?
 
A candidate can have countless endorsements ahead of an election, but electoral victory is determined mainly by the number of votes he is able to garner at the election.
 
Having won the election, Governor Amaechi had demonstrated statesmanship by making his acceptance speech, which dwelled on his readiness to work with his opponent, Governor Jang and the need for the governors to work with the President of the Country, Dr Goodluck Jonathan in moving the country forward.
 
Contrary to the rather bizarre position being canvassed by the pro-Jang group, we do not see any reason for us to demonstrate that we won the election. The results of the election, as announced by the electoral officer is clear on the victory of Governor Amaechi. Rushing to Abuja to create the impression of being the so-called authentic Governors’ Forum is not only childish but petty.
 
At an appropriate time, a meeting of the Forum will be convened. For now, we are busy concentrating on our developmental works in our individual states rather than indulging in smear campaigns and distortions.
 
We implore members of the public not to be hoodwinked by these deliberate distortions in the media. We also urge the media to help enlighten the public on the issues at stake in a bid to build a more enduring democracy.
 
Signed:
Dr Kayode Fayemi
Governor, Ekiti State

KWANKWASO BLAMES GOVT, SOCIETY FOR NIGERIA'S INSECURITY

Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State

THE MOST TRUTHFUL WORDS THAT HAVE COME FROM A NIGERIAN LEADER I HAVE HEARD OF LATE. PLEASE GIVE THEM DEEP THOUGHT.

Kano Governor, Kwankwaso, Blames Government And Society For Nigeria’s Insecurity
By SaharaReporters, New York.

Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State yesterday took a critical look at the insecurity in the country, and divided the blame between governments, politicians, traditional rulers and religious leaders, parents, and communities.

“We are all guilty,” was his verdict.

Kwankwaso was speaking at a meeting with the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of security challenges in the North, aka Amnesty Committee. He traced the security problem to the failure of the nation’s leaders to take full responsibility of governance and offer the dividends of democracy to the people.

He also regretted that family values are no longer being upheld. “Parents no longer take responsibility of their family,” he said.

In a statement with important implications for the lifestyle in the North, he said, “We have a situation in this part of the country where parents give birth to 20 to 30 children, chose only two out of them and send the rest away to God knows where.

“Children are sent to places that they don’t know. They are left to fend for themselves. We have a situation where you go round the city and find garrison of children—able-bodied youths begging.”

He said that having been abandoned by their parents, those children “grow up to hate themselves, hate their parents, hate the leaders, hate the government and the society. They feel they were deprived, they feel injustice and they become enemies of the state and constituted authorities; and thereby becoming vulnerable to crime and violence.”

According to the governor, “These are the bitter pills we must swallow—that we are all guilty of what is happening today. We have to wake up and rise up to the challenges. What started in Yobe and Borno is everywhere in the North, it may eventually envelope the country if we don’t check it now. It is a national issue that must be addressed.”

Beroms sue Nigerian security agencies for N502bn

Special Task Force [Photo: sweetcrudereports.com]

The Beroms in Plateau on Wednesday sued security agencies at a Federal High Court in Jos for allegedly failing to protect them in the wake of attacks in their domains.

Rwang Dantong, the brother of late Senator Gyang Dantong, on behalf of himself and the Berom community in Barkin Ladi, Jos South, Riyom and Jos North local governments of the state, filed the suit, demanding for N501.8 billion as general damage.

Mr. Datong, in the application filed before Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal Court I, alleged that acts of genocide or pogrom were visited on them “under the watchful eyes of the security agencies”.

Joined in the suit was the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

The security agencies are the Police, Special Task Force, Army, Air Force, Navy and Directorate of State Security, SSS.

The community, through its counsel, Gyang Zi, urged the court to hold the security agencies and their employer, the Federal Government, responsible for “all the atrocities that befell them over the years”.

The Beroms alleged that 1,193 estimated men, women and children were killed while 3,250 were “injured and incapacitated during the ethnic cleansing by Fulani marauders,” due to dereliction of duty of security agencies.

The suit also alleged, among others, that 854 houses and 150 vehicles were burnt while 13,100 cows, 10,040 goats, sheep and 17,000 chickens were destroyed.

The plaintiffs said they have a right to live and be protected by the security agents and asked the court to order them to fulfill their constitutional duty of protecting them as citizens of Nigeria.

When the case, which was slated for mention, came up, the Registrar of the Court announced the absence of the judge due to ill health and the adjourned the case to May 23.

Addressing newsmen shortly after leaving the court room, Mr. Zi said the adjournment would afford him the opportunity to make some slight amendments in the suit.

“We are prepared to prosecute this case to its logical conclusion due to its weight and the plight of Beroms in the wake of the crises on the Plateau over the years,” he said.

The defendants were not represented at the court.

(NAN)

Premium Times, Published: May 15,2013