The Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong has moved to reduce the
influence of the paramount ruler of Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, known as
the Gbong Gwom Jos.
The state government ordered the carving out of two Traditional
Councils from Jos Traditional Council. The two new councils are to be
known as Jos North and Riyom Traditional Councils.
This was revealed in a memo written by the Commissioner for Local
Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dayyabu Garga, to the chairmen of
Jos North and Riyom Local Government Areas.
In the memo, copies of which were made available to journalists
yesterday in Jos, the government stated that all the graded chiefs,
district heads, village heads and their staff, who are from both local
government areas, should henceforth constitute members and staff of the
newly created traditional councils.
The memo explained that Governor Lalong’s decision was in compliance
with Section 91(1) of the 2016 Local Government Law, adding that Section
91(3) of the law also states that the most senior traditional rulers in
each local government shall be presidents of Jos North and Riyom
Traditional Councils, respectively.
Earlier, Governor Lalong had created new chiefdoms and upgraded some,
including the Anaguta Chiefdom in Jos North and that of the Aten of
Ganawuri in Riyom.
Reacting yesterday, Da Gyang Buba said he remained the paramount ruler of Gbong Gwom Jos.
Speaking to Daily Trust through his media aide, Alex Rwang Pam, Gyang
said: “The position of Gbong Gwom Jos was the one gazetted and nothing
has altered the provisions of that document.”
Pam went down the memory lane to explain that the position currently
being occupied by Da Jacob Buba was first institutionalised as Sarkin
Jos on August 28, 1947, explaining that it was much later that the Berom
people re-coined the name to their own language “since ‘Gwom’ means
‘Sarki’ in that language.”
