Tunde Odesola and Umar Muhammed
Members of the Nasarawa State House of
Assembly engaged in a free-for-all on Monday over the appointment of
sole administrators for 11 local government councils by Governor Tanko
Al-Makura.
The free-for-all occurred on the floor
of the legislature barely two hours after the governor inaugurated the
11 sole administrators.
Glasses were shattered while tables and chairs were upturned in the violence that engulfed the House.
A faction that described the governor’s
action as illegal was opposed by another faction that supported the
action of the governor.
Some legislators sustained injuries during the violence while some had their clothes torn.
Briefing newsmen at the legislative
complex, a member, House Committee on Information, Mr. Makpa Malla, said
that seats and tables were broken during the fight.
Describing the appointment by the
governor as illegal, Malla said the Assembly could not continue to watch
the governor perpetrate illegalities in the state.
He said, “As you can see, this is the
executive room of the state House of Assembly, where we sit down every
morning to discuss matters which would bring development to the state
and the country at large.
“Categorically, I want to state here
that the division which caused this chaos was as result of the
appointment of the sole administrators by the governor. As a responsible
legislature with some of us as lawyers, we insisted that the right
thing must be done.
“The Section 7 of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria – as amended – guarantees a democratic system of governance
at the local government level. The provision of the constitution is
explicit on how the local government structure should be run.
“That is why we are kicking against the
appointment of the sole administrators. Sole administrators only existed
during the military era and as respecters of the rule of law, we must
ensure that the executive must also respect the rule of law.”
Malla, however, urged the people of the state to remain calm and be law-abiding as the law would take its course in the matter.
Also speaking during the press
conference, Mr. Abubakar Kana, an All Progressives Congress member
representing Kokona-West, said there was no provision for the position
of sole administrator in the laws of Nasarawa State.
He said this was the reason why the lawmakers kicked against the action of Al-Makura.
He said, “Where would the sole
administrators derive their powers from? Who determines the tenure and
salaries of the sole administrators? Sole administrators are not known
to Nigerian and Nasarawa laws.
“If the sole administrators commit any offence, under what law would they be tried?”
Reacting, the Deputy Speaker, Godiya
Akwashiki, who is a Peoples Democratic Party member representing
Nasarawa-West, condemned the action of those who opposed the governor’s
action.
He said the 24-member House would not be cowed by a few members who had gone on a campaign of calumny against the state.
Akwashiki said, “They accused some of us
of receiving N50m bribe each from the governor. I want them to come out
with proof. They should show the world the video to back up their
allegations.
“Although there is the principle of
separation of powers, we still meet with the governor when necessary.
The meeting could be on his request or on our request.
“Last week Friday, the Speaker of the
House wrote a letter to the governor, requesting that the House wanted
to see him. The governor granted our demand by honouring our invitation.
The governor invited all of us but only 17 of us attended the meeting
in Abuja while others stayed back.”
Akwashiki said the false allegation of
bribery was one of the reasons why a few members of the legislature
opposed the action of the governor.
The deputy speaker said the lawmakers
met with the governor over a court judgment which ordered that the
tenure of the 11 council chairmen must not exceed two years.
He said the governor had to inaugurate
the 11 sole administrators because of the security situation in the
state, adding that on account of this, it would be wrong to fault the
governor’s decision.
“We cannot afford to leave the councils
without heads. The tenure of the former local government chairmen
expired on March 24, 2016,” he said.
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