Ex-Governor speaks on removal of Senior District Head

A former Plateau State Governor, Joshua Dariye, has urged calm over the removal of Dr. Julius Dabilang as Senior District Head of Mushere in Bokkos Local Government Area of the state.

The former governor spoke after an expanded Mushere Chiefdom stakeholders’ meeting on Saturday in Jos, the state capital.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had earlier appointed Dabilang as Senior District Head of Mushere.

However, some individuals petitioned against the appointment, citing Dabilang’s conviction by a Nasarawa State High Court in 2023.

The removal triggered protests by women in the community, who marched naked through the streets.

Petitioners, relying on the court judgement, compelled the government to depose Dabilang from office.

Dariye said the removal followed due process and urged Mushere residents to remain calm and law-abiding.

He noted the meeting included district heads and title holders across Mushere chiefdom.

He lamented that the removal had caused deep divisions, prompting intervention by traditional leaders and key stakeholders.

He said: “At the time of selection, many selectors were unaware that Dabilang had been convicted of a criminal case.

“They did not know. 

“But the law is the law.

“He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.

“We must move forward and unite. 

“We cannot remain divided while our women protest naked.

“We have faced killings before, yet our women never protested naked. 

“Nudity is alien to Mushere.

“It is strange to our land.”

Dariye, who is also a former representative of Plateau Central Senatorial District, commended the government for the removal, but criticised poor communication.

He said authorities should have barred Dabilang from the community, warning his presence was fuelling tensions.

He urged swift appointment of an acting district head pending a substantive replacement.

Gideon Kuttu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the government acted within the law.

Kuttu noted that petitioners also acted lawfully, backed by evidence of Dabilang’s conviction.

He said the deposed district head breached the law by concealing his conviction while seeking the position.

He said: “Once convicted, you should not contest such positions.