Nasarawa: APC Stakeholders Back Withholding Salary Of Aggrieved Assembly Members

All Progressives Congress (APC) Stakeholders Forum in Ñasarawa State, has supported the refusal to pay monthly salary to 10 members of the State Assembly who belong to the Hon Daniel Ogazi-led camp.

The forum said the aggrieved persons are by law not yet authentic members of the House of Assembly since they have not officially taken the oath of office.

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Lafia, the state capital, the forum through its chairman, Kassim Kassim, said the affected persons were barred and cannot enjoy the privileges of members of the Assembly until they are officially inaugurated.

“There is no authority or law that says members who are not inaugurated should be paid salaries and as far as the law is concerned, the 10 members elect led by Daniel Ogazi are not inaugurated yet and will not be paid until they present themselves for inauguration before they can start receiving salaries.

“I therefore advise the 10 members elect to stop wasting their time and present themselves for inauguration,” he explained.

The forum asked the Police to arrest  the former chairman of Karu local government, Hon. Samuel Akala, in order to ascertain the identity of the anonymous chairman claiming to represent the APC stakeholders in the state.

The forum said the press conference was necessary in view of “the strings of press conferences held by this group, which is falsely using our name and forum for impersonation.”

It said the call for the arrest of the leader of the anonymous body was imperative as his actions were intended to cause ethnic and religious crisis in the state.

“I challenge Hon Samuel Akala to come down to Lafia, the state capital to hold such malicious and mischievous press conference, and stop hidding in site light towns in Abuja to dish out press statement.

“I  want to set the records straight that there is no group like Concerned Nasarawa APC Stakeholders known to anybody in Nasarawa State, the only existing one known to everybody is the one headed by Dr Kassim, which is APC Stakeholders Forum.”

“It is therefore inconceivable that any responsible and genuine APC stakeholder would endorse a proposed PDP Speakership candidate in an APC State like Nasarawa State as is done by the so-called APC Concern Stakeholders.

“Their actions are solely aimed at causing unrest and defaming, and we urgently appeal for their apprehension, as there is no legitimate organization bearing that name in our State.

“It is essential to note that the alleged group, purportedly led by the aforementioned Concern APC stakeholders, comprises individuals who hold no official status or recognition in Nasarawa State. Their actions and statements should be regarded as nothing more than attempts to gain unwarranted attention and spread falsehoods,” the forum said.