The Plateau State House of Assembly has announced the suspension of all 17 local government chairmen in the state. The decision was made on Tuesday during a plenary session held at the Assembly Complex in Jos.

The Speaker of the House, Abok Ayuba, made the announcement on behalf of the Assembly, declaring that the suspension was due to the failure of the chairmen to submit their financial accounts for 2019 and 2020.

According to the Speaker, the House had given the chairmen a notice to appear before the Public Accounts and Petition Committee to explain the delay in submitting their accounts, but they failed to respond. As a result, the Assembly had to take action.

Before the announcement of the suspension, the lawmakers debated the issue extensively, with some members calling for the outright removal of the chairmen, while others suggested a milder approach that would give them a chance to make amends.

However, the majority of the members agreed on a six-month suspension, during which the chairmen would be given an opportunity to submit their accounts and clear themselves of any wrongdoing.

The Speaker urged the chairmen to take the suspension seriously and use the time given to them to abide by the laws governing their offices.

The suspension comes amid increasing concerns over the accountability and transparency of local governments in Nigeria, particularly with regards to their use of funds allocated to them by the federal and state governments.

Many Nigerians have praised the Plateau State Assembly for taking a proactive step to hold its local government officials accountable, and have called on other state assemblies to follow suit.

It remains to be seen how the suspended chairmen will react to the decision and whether they will take steps to address the issues that led to their suspension.