The Minority Leader in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, whose seat was declared vacant by the House, Aliyu Ango Kagara, has accused the state governor, Dauda Lawal, of masterminding his dismissal, accusing him of manipulating the House.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
According to Kagara, the State House of Assembly is currently operating unconstitutionally, with principal officers being controlled by a cabal.
Kagara further expressed dismay over the way the leadership of the State House of Assembly answers to ordinary political appointees, stressing that it downgrades their status and abuses the mandate of the people.
“I have been a member of the House four times, and I have never seen or heard of such undemocratic actions, where a lawmaker is suspended indefinitely, and now they are in their twelfth month of suspension, contrary to the law, which states that the suspension of a lawmaker shall not exceed forty days after all due procedures have been followed,” he added.
The former minority leader further pointed out that he drew the attention of the principal officers of the House to the suspension of eight lawmakers simply because they presented the grievances of the people they represent regarding insecurity. He called this unconstitutional.
“I also told them that what they did was against the law, but they did not respond to me and vowed that they would ensure the lawmakers remained suspended until the end of their tenure,” Kagara recounted.
He also accused the principal officers of the State Assembly of sharing the salaries and allowances of the suspended lawmakers among themselves.
“The suspended lawmakers are now in their twelfth month of suspension, while their salaries and allowances are being squandered by the principal officers of the House. I told the Governor, but no action has been taken.”
Kagara further stated that it is perplexing and embarrassing that lawmakers would bow to the will of a cabal around Governor Dauda Lawal and vowed that they would never allow the suspended lawmakers to return to the Assembly until their tenure expires.
He added that he personally contacted the governor when he heard that the false statement that refused to hearken to the summon of principal officers by the governor.
Accoridng to him: “The second time we met with the governor and his deputy, Malam Mani Mummuni, they promised to allow the suspended lawmakers to return to the House, but nothing has been done as of now.
“I vowed that I will never return to the House until the right thing is done, and I want my record to be deleted completely as a serving member of the House from 2023 to date, if possible, as long as the suspended lawmakers are not allowed to return.
“I don’t want my name to be tarnished due to the illegal actions of the House and undemocratic procedures. Imagine, even this year’s budget, the governor presented it to only fourteen lawmakers, which is against the rules, turning the people of Zamfara State into what he views as uncivilised.”
The former minority leader also pointed out that the suspended lawmakers had previously instituted a legal suit against the actions, but the governor used some of his trusted friends and closest allies, Sambo Garba and Dantabawa, to influence the suspended members to withdraw their case, promising they would be allowed to return to the House and receive all their entitlements. However, he betrayed them.”
Commenting on the possible action to be taken regarding the declaration of his seat as vacant, Kagara said that the 10 lawmakers will meet and notify the general public of their position.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
“Five of the suspended lawmakers out of the eight are members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the ruling party in the State, while the remaining three are members of the All Progressives Congress, APC,” he said.
Kagara avowed that the two lawmakers―Jikan Shehu from Kaura Namoda constituency and himself― whose seat were declared vacant, make a total of ten lawmakers out of the 24 members that make up the State House of Assembly
