Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has announced the dissolution of the 17 Local Government Transition Implementation Committee Chairmen, with effect from September 6, 2024. The committees were formed on June 9, 2023.
According to a statement signed by the Governor’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, “The Governor directed the Directors of Personnel Management (DPMs) to assume responsibility for the administration of the local government areas until elections are held on October 9, 2024, to fill the positions.
“Governor Mutfwang commended the Transition Committee Chairmen for their exemplary leadership and dedication to advancing developmental projects that have directly impacted their communities. He expressed pride in their accomplishments and urged them to continue offering valuable counsel to promote peace and unity within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Plateau State.
“Governor Mutfwang also encouraged the former Chairmen to collaborate with their constituents to ensure the Party’s success in the forthcoming local government elections. He thanked the people of Plateau State for their unwavering support, noting that the outcome of the PDP primaries for the chairmanship and councillorship elections reflects the deep connection the people have with the party.”
The Governor reaffirmed his commitment to running an inclusive, transparent, and accountable government that serves the interests of all Plateau citizens.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
