By Salisu Sani-Idris
Coalition of FCT Concerned Youths has intensified call on the need for the FCT Administration to ensure inauguration of the newly-elected six area councils chairmen in the territory.
The Convener of the youths, Mr Joshua Dangiwa, made the call at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello has suspended the planned inauguration of the Six Area Council Chairmen and Councilors scheduled for May 20.
Bello, in a statement on May 19, said the suspension was due to the communication of a judgment by a court in the FCT directing the suspension of the inauguration.
The minister explained that the judgment, based on the recently signed Electoral Act of 2022, which stipulated that the tenure of office of the Chairmen of the Area Councils in FCT would now be four years instead of three years.
According to him, the existing Chairmen whose tenures were meant to expire or end on May 19, have another one year to continue, based on the new law.
So, as a law-abiding government, the FCT Administration has no option than to suspend the planned inauguration of the Six Area Council Chairmen of the FCT who were duly elected some weeks ago as a result of this injunction of the court.
The youth leader said the coalition believed that the minister stood for fairness, equity and justice, saying, we are sure that he will do anything within his purview to ensure that the six Area Council Chairmen are sworn in.
We therefore strongly insist that the newly elected Area Council Chairmen be sworn in to their respective offices, to commence the job that our people have elected them to do.
Failure to comply will leave us with no other option than to carry out a peaceful protest on all the major roads leading into the FCT, which will cause a restriction to vehicular movements.
This is in a bid to register our displeasure which also is an exercise of our fundamental human rights as enshrined in our constitution. (NAN)
Edited by Abiemwense Moru/Grace Yussuf
Source: NAN News