On Tuesday, the 17 secretariats of the Local Government Councils that had been locked up for more than two months were opened by the Plateau State Police Command.
The Police, however, claimed that until the outcome of their legal case, the Council Chairmen’s offices remained locked.
According to OBASANJO NEWS24, the State’s council chairmen were replaced with caretaker committee chairs after the State Governor suspended them two months ago on the advice of the State House of Assembly.
The problem has not yet been resolved after the chairmen’s suspension, who went to court to seek redress.
The immediately preceding Inspector General of Police ordered the sealing of the 17 Council secretariats in the State due to tension in some of the Councils brought on by the suspension.
Following a meeting behind closed doors with key stakeholders, the State’s Commissioner of Police, Okoro Alawari, declared that the 17 Local Government Council Secretariats would be reopened so that local government employees could enter and perform their duties.
The Local Government Chairmen’s offices, he continued, “remain sealed until the court rules on the case.
I thus urge all those who have been wronged to take legal action.
Additionally, he ordered all the men guarding the secretariat gates to leave and confine their movements to the offices of the local government chairmen exclusively.
Security personnel, according to the law of the land, “would deal decisively with any person or group of persons who may want to cause a breach of the peace currently being enjoyed in the State,” Alawari said.
“By ensuring the protection of lives and property of all citizens, we want to reassure residents of this State of our commitment to maintaining the security of the State.”
