Plateau NULGE factions trade blames ahead of Sept 17 delegate conference, election
Confusion has engulfed the Plateau state chapter of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) with allegations and counter allegations trailing the delegates conference/ election of the union scheduled for September 17.
A group led by a member of the chapter Comrade Izere Maxwell Igyem, had at a press briefing on Thursday accused the President and a contender in the election, Makwin Johanna Arandong, of violating the terms of the reconciliation brokered by the national leadership of the union thereby casting a dark shadow over the legitimacy of the union’s democratic processes.
In a petition to national NULGE, the group had accused the incumbent president of unilaterally shifting the branch elections to take place after the State Delegates Conference (SDC), a clear contravention of the agreed-upon reconciliation terms.
They claimed that the move was a naked attempt to manipulate the electoral process and maintain their grip on power.
They also accused the incumbent president of financial impropriety as well as orchestrating the disqualification of some members from contesting in the elections.
However reacting to the allegations at a briefing at the NUJ Press centre in Jos on Monday, the campaign directorate of Arandong, led by Hillary Shown, described the allegations as unsubstantiated and baseless.
He said that those making the allegations were part of the peace and reconciliatory meeting held at the National Secretariat of NULGE and presided by the National President of the Union where an agreement was reached and signed regarding the conduct of the forthcoming Plateau State NULGE election.
While describing their reasoning as myopic, the Shown group said, “We are indeed baffled with some recent savory and demeaning threat statements from Comrade lgyem on different social media platforms of Workers in the Local Government towards the State President of our Union.
“We know that his threats are mere venoms of Viper that has nothing to do with the Tortoise back. But we must warn that enough is enough regarding some unguided statements from him.”
Shown said that the rules and regulations regarding the conduct of election for any position in the State Executive Council of NULGE requires that the contestant for such position must have once been elected and served in any branch before he or she can vie for any office in the State Exco.
“Reasons for the disqualification of Comrade Ezekiel Musa Yelwa and Comrade Dauda Aku, both contestants for the position of the President as well as few candidates for other positions were clearly stated by the Screening Committee in line with Union’s constitution.
