High court grants interim injunction preventing Governor Lalong from creating two new monarchies in Jos

GOVERNOR Simon Lalong of Plateau State has been refrained from splitting the Gbong Gwom Jos Traditional Council into three by a Jos high court which ordered him to maintain the status quo for the time being.

In what is now becoming a growing trend across Nigeria, earlier this month, Governor Lalong moved to reduce the influence of the Gbong Gwom of Jos Da Jacob Gyang Buba by carving out two traditional councils from within his domain. In the latest move against a monarch, Governor Lalong ordered the carving out of two councils from Jos Traditional Council to be known as Jos North and Riyom Traditional Councils.

With traditional rulers increasingly being forced by their subjects to criticise bad governance, Governors are not finding their intervention in the political arena funny. Governors Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State have made similar moves against the Olubadan of Ibadan and the Emir of Kano lately.

In both Kano and Oyo states, the matters are pending before the courts and in Plateau State, a group describing itself as the seven illustrious sons of the Berom nation dragged the state government to court. Yesterday, they won an interim injunction stopping Governor Lalong from tampering with the composition of the Gbong Gwom Jos Traditional Council.

This injunction was issued by Justice Christine Dabup, after listening to Niri Darong, Counsel to plaintiffs. Led by Daniel Choji, the seven men on behalf of themselves and all adult male Berom indigenes in Jos North, Jos South, Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local Governments, rushed to the court to stop the governor.

They argued that the creation of the two councils left the Jos Joint Traditional Council with only two local governments in Jos and Barkin-Ladi, instead of the former four. With the planned carve up, the Plateau State government had announced that the Attah Aten of Ganawuri would chair the Riyom Traditional Council, while the Ujah of Anaguta would head the Jos North Traditional Council.

After listening to their case, Justice Dabup, issued the interim order and then fixed June 11, for the hearing on the substantive motion. In the substantive case, the plaintiffs will be challenging the right of the governor to create two new monarchs in Greater Jos and questioning the constitutionality of the move.

Justice Dabup ruled: “The defendants, their agents, representatives or privies are hereby restrained from tampering with the Jos Joint Traditional Council, including suspending or deposing any member of the Jos Joint Traditional Council, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice. The defendants are mandated to continue to recognise the Gbong Gwom Jos as the president of Jos Joint Traditional Council made up of Jos North, Jos South, Barkin Kadi and Riyom Local Governments, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”