The Zamfara State House of Assembly on Wednesday initiated the suspension of the council chairpersons for Bukkuyum, Umar Faru, and Kaura Namoda, Mannir Haidara, leading to ongoing discussions within the northwestern state.
Following the presentation of a report from its Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the House resolved to suspend the two leaders based on allegations of financial impropriety.
"The chairmen were invited to provide explanations regarding expenditures in their respective councils, but they deliberately failed to attend. After deliberations, the House accepted the committee's proposals and ordered the immediate suspension of the two chairmen pending the conclusion of investigations," Bello Madaro, the Assembly's spokesperson, informed journalists in Gusau.
While supporters of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Zamfara have endorsed the suspension, opposition party members perceive it as a politically driven move, particularly concerning Mr. Faru, who reportedly declined to switch allegiance to the APC along with Governor Dauda Lawal last month.
Mr. Faru, elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) banner, has been critical of the governor and the APC since the party defections in March.
In contrast, Mr. Haidara, the chairman for Kaura Namoda, was among those who joined the APC.
The deputy speaker of the Assembly, Adamu Aliyu, asserted that the suspension was not politically motivated. He explained that the House's standing committee had requested expenditure details from all 14 council chairpersons.
"After they submitted their reports, we sent invitations requesting their presence to elaborate on their submissions. Twelve of them complied, but these two (Bukkuyum and Kaura Namoda) refused to honour the invitation. We sent them reminder letters three times, but they did not comply," stated Mr. Aliyu, who also heads the committee on local government and chieftaincy affairs.
However, Mr. Faru countered this narrative in an interview with DCL Hausa on Saturday, asserting that his suspension was politically motivated.
He accused the House of Assembly of suspending him because he refused to defect to the APC.
"The House sent us an itinerary to meet their committee to discuss our spending. Upon receiving it, I wrote to the House informing them of my intention to travel to Mecca for my lesser pilgrimage and requested a rescheduled date upon my return. No official communication was sent to me after my return; I only learned of my suspension for allegedly refusing an invitation. They claim I was invited thrice, but I challenge them to produce the letters. They lack this evidence as no one invited me three times. Yet, I sent them a letter, and they confirmed receiving it," Mr. Faru stated.
Mr. Faru further argued that the House of Assembly lacks the constitutional authority to suspend him and therefore, he would continue to operate as the legitimate chairman.
"I suspect this is due to my refusal to join the APC. I explained that my local government is facing severe security challenges, and I questioned why I should join the APC under such circumstances. I told them I would only consider joining the APC once the security situation in my area improves," he added.
Mr. Faru also commented on the state's finances, stating that the federal government never withheld allocations to Zamfara State when Governor Lawal was affiliated with the PDP.
"His allocation was never withheld by the federal government when he was in the PDP. He (Mr. Lawal) does not have the right to withhold our funds, as this is enshrined in the constitution. Local government funds belong to the local government, so he cannot withhold them simply because I am not a member of his party."
Attempts to reach the spokesperson for the Zamfara State governor, Sulaiman Bala – Idris, for comment via SMS and WhatsApp were unsuccessful, and his phone line was unreachable.
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to comment.
Be the first to comment on this article!