The chairman of the committee set up by the Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau State to probe the suspension of its chairman, Mr Damishi Sango, and the deputy chairman, Mr Amos Gombi, has turned down the appointment.

The seven-man committee headed by Mr S.T Panwal was set up  last week after an enlarged meeting of the State Executive Council held at the party’s secretariat in Jos.

Members of the committee were mandated to look into the allegations of embezzlement of party’s funds levelled against the former Minister of Sports and the party’s  deputy chairman which led to their suspension earlier by a resolution signed by 16-member executive committee of the party.

It was learnt that since the  disciplinary committee was set up, its members  had neither met nor invited the two suspended party officials for questioning until Panwal submitted his letter rejecting the appointment.

Panwal told our correspondent in Jos on Monday that he would not be part of the committee to probe the suspension of Sango and his deputy

 “I am not disposed to taking the appointment as the chairman of the PDP Disciplinary Committee on the suspension of the party chairman and his deputy.

“I don’t want to get involved and I have written a letter to that effect to convey my decision to them,” he said.

When asked by our correspondent reasons for rejecting the offer, he said, “I am  a member of the PDP legal team working to retrieve the mandate of the party’s governorship candidate, Jeremiah Useni, at the election petitions tribunal and as such, we need time to concentrate on the job.

“Doing otherwise will certainly distract my attention because we don’t want anything to come in- between our assignment at the tribunal and we pray that they resolve the  leadership crisis in the party.”

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Barr S T Panwal, Plateau PDP probe committee chairman resigns