Breaking: Lantang North LG Chair, Zulfa Rimven, Served With Impeachment Notice

By the provisions of Sections 36 and 37 of the Local Government Council

Law 2016, being the statutory provisions that empower the Legislative

Council to commence removal/impeachment proceedings against the

Chairman of a Local Government Council either on allegations of gross

misconduct or inability to discharge the functions of office;

We, the undersigned Langtang North Legislative Council members hereby

present a formal Notice of Impeachment of the Executive Chairman of

Langtang North L.G.C, Hon. Bitrus Zulfa Rimven to the Leader of the

Legislative Council for onward service on the Chairman, Langtang North

L.G.C.

The allegations of the undersigned Councilors herein against the Executive

Chairman, Hon. Bitrus Zulfa Rimven are based on gross misconduct, abuse

of office, financial recklessness, abandonment of office and official duty,

disregard for the legislative arm and other offences – the details of which

are as follows:

1. That from the months of December 2021 to May 2022, the Chairman

has drawn Three Hundred and Thirty One Million and Two Hundred

and Thirteen Thousand and Four Hundred and Eighty Seven Naira

(N331, 213, 487) as the sum total of VAT from the Joint Account

Allocation Committee (JAAC); that monies accruing to the Local

Government from VAT are meant for infrastructural development, but regrettably, while the Chairman has not done any project, he cannot

also account for these enormous sums of money.

2. That since assuming office in October, 2021, the Chairman has failed

to render to the Legislative Council for examination and debate the

monthly statement of income and expenditure of the Local

Government for examination, and thereby contravening section 10

(c) of the Plateau State Local Government Council Law, 2016.

3. That since the assumption of office in October 2021 to the time of

issuing this notice, the Executive Chairman has run the Local

Government Council without Supervisory Councilors thereby

rendering the Executive Council inchoate – an omission that is a

violation of section 34 (b) of the Plateau State Local Government

Council Law 2016 which provides for Supervisory Councilors as an

essential part of the Executive Council.

4. That for large parts of his tenure thus far, the Chairman is almost

always outside of Langtang North L.G.A and whenever he sets foot

on Langtang North territory, he barely makes it to office – a conduct,

which does not only rob the Council of the much needed day-to-day

administration in these difficult times, but one that clearly suggests

the Chairman’s inability to discharge the functions of his office

“arising from…any other cause” as contemplated by section 36 (1)

(b) of the Plateau State Local Government Council Law, 2016.

5. That owing to the regular absence of the Chairman from office, the

Chairman has thus far failed to hold meetings at least once a week

with the Deputy Chairman and Supervisory Councilors for the proper

conduct of government business, thereby contravening the whole of

section 35 (3) (a) (b) & (c) of the Plateau State Local Government

Law of Plateau State, 2016.

2That the Chairman in his reckless handling of the Local Government

funds has, in objectionable circumstances, directed the payment of

One Million and Seven Hundred Thousand (N1, 700, 000.00) on the

6th March, 2022 to one Malo Samuel Magit; Seven Hundred

Thousand (N700, 000.00) on the 7th March, 2022 to the same Malo

Samuel Magit; and yet again the sum of Eight Hundred Thousand

(N800, 000.00) on the same 7th March, 2022 and to the same Malo

Samuel Magit all through Payment Vouchers (PVs), purportedly for

the same purpose of maintaining peace in the Gasham community of

Langtang North following the stabbing to death of one Joshua

Nanshep in that community. As Council Members who were firmly on

ground when the murder of Joshua Nanshep occurred, there was

nothing on show to justify the release of these huge sums of money

between 6th and 7th March, 2022 on the instructions of the

Chairman. We the undersigned Council Members view the sums of

money contained in the Payment Vouchers (PVs) hereto attached as

Appendices A, B and C, all of which were raised in favour of one Malo

Samuel Magit, as objectionable, and for us, they are a proof of the

reckless financial conduct of the Chairman.

7. That the Chairman has again, in very worrying circumstances, caused

money to be paid to one Samuel Malo Magit who seems to be the

conduit pipe through which the Chairman diverts public funds, to wit:

(1) PV 64 of May, 2022 to the tune of N800, 000

(2) PV 65 of May 2022 to the tune of N500, 000

(3) PV 66 of May, 2022 to the tune of N500, 000

(4) PV 67 of May, 2022 to the tune of N1, 200,000

(5)PV 68 of May, 2022 to the tune of N650, 000

(6) PV 69 of May, 2022 to the tune of N1, 700,000

(7) PV 70 of May, 2022 to the tune of N700, 000

(8) PV 71 of May, 2022 to the tune of N800, 000

; being instances of the Chairman’s financial recklessness, all of

which was orchestrated in contravention of all budgetary provisions.

It is worthy of note that the Audit Section of the Local Government

Council has also queried these payments.

8. That the Chairman has willfully neglected to get in touch with the

Legislative Council in whatever manner, and even on invitation, he

has refused to come before the Legislative Council to address the

Council on burning issues within the locality such as the non-payment

of salaries of staff of Langtang North L.G.C, the tension between

Lyanjit and Kumbwang communities, the failure of his administration

to engage in any meaningful developmental project, and the general

welfare of the citizens of Langtang North L.G.A; that this blatant

refusal of Mr. Chairman to honour the invitation of the Legislative

Council and his overall discourteous treatment of Council have

undermined the Legislative Council as an independent branch as

established under the law (Section 7 (1)) and a affront to the

oversight powers of Council as established under Section 10, both of

the Plateau State Local Government Council Law, 2016.

9. That the Chairman is generally a poor manager of human beings, as

his egotistical and “mannerless” style of imposing his selfish ideas led

to his distasteful insult of the person of the APC Chairman, Langtang

North L.G.A, Hon. Nimkur Zitta Mamzum and other stake holders in

the presence of teeming members of the party at the Langtang North

Local Government Secretariat upon the return of party faithful from

Shendam on the 28th May, 2022. This reprehensible conduct of the

Chairman and a sundry others too numerous to mention have been

responsible for the massive exits we are witnessing today in our

party in Langtang North L.G.A, we also view this conduct of the

Chairman as a way of undermining the trust the Governor of Plateau

State and leader of the APC, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong has

reposed in him, without which, the Chairman could have remained an

unknown political quantity even in his immediate community.

10.

That the Chairman, in spite of the enormous sums spent as

overhead cost going by our financial inflow from March to May 2022 which is hereto attached as Appendix D, has willfully neglected the

allowances of Legislative Council Members throughout the life of his

administration thus far; apart from hampering the smooth conduct of

legislative business, the Chairman’s neglect of the allowances of 

Members is a direct violation of section 27 (1) of the Plateau State 

Local Government Council Law, 2016.

The undersigned Legislative Councilors wish to state that prior to this 

notice of impeachment that is based on the above detailed alleged offences 

of the Chairman, that 11 Council Members had, on the 7th June, 2022, in a

well considered motion resolved to, and did pass a vote of no-confidence 

on the Chairman, but the Chairman has refused to take seriously the 

business of bringing governance to the people of Langtang North L.G.A.

Hereto attached as Appendix E is a copy of the vote of no confidence

passed on the Chairman by Legislative Members.

For the sake of emphasis, please do find attached relevant documents in 

support of our various allegations against the Chairman for his response, if 

any.

Do kindly accept, as always, our assurances of the highest regard