‏The Ron stakeholders of Bokkos local government area of Plateau State have rejected the proposal to use the 1974 Gazette for Saf Ron selection and call on Governor Caleb Mutfwang for urgent intervention to protect Ron Cultural Heritage.

This took place yesterday just as the concerned Miango Youth of Bassa local government of the state also called on the governor to intervene on the 11 years of continuous power black-out in Miango town.

Yesterday, the Ron Integrity Advocacy Group, representing the elders, stakeholders, women, youth and the people of the 11 districts of Ron chiefdom of Bokkos, is appealing to Mutfwang for urgent intervention in the selection process for a new Saf Ron.

Addressing journalists yesterday, the Spokesman of the Group, Mr. John Apollo Maton, explained that they are not politically motivated but asking the governor to intervene after the 52 years of vacuum, saying that they were just appealing and confronting the government.

According to Maton, they apprehensively note that applying the 1974 instrument without review poses serious threats to the legitimacy and inclusiveness of the process.

Key concerns raised, he said, include obsolete rotation clauses, wrong electoral college and inconsistency with current realities.

The people now want the government to convene urgent stakeholders meetings in the interest of peace and justice and update the electoral college selection method to reflect the current 11 districts of Ron Chiefdom as being eligible for selection which must be guided by authentic Ron custom and tradition and not administrative convenience or political sentiment.

On their part, the spokesman of the group for Miango, Mr. Bitrus Adamu, said that enough should be enough as they experienced 11 years of total darkness.

“Not 11 days. Not 11 months. But 11 years without light. We are only saying that the governor should know what we are going through and intervene positively as such”, Adamu added amid many placards.

According to Adamu, “Outstanding post privatization debt (of electricity bill) at that time was N51,418,095.27. After reconciliation, the post-privatization debt as at June 2017 was N38,000,000.

“This followed an intervention by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). Thus, N51, 418 million was reduced to N38 million only by Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC).

“Out of this N38 million, the consumers have remitted N28 million and are left with a balance of N10 million. But as we speak, the land has remained in darkness.”

Knowing that their problem is self-inflicted, they appeal to the governor to wade in.