Ripples as Zamfara Assembly suspends two local government chairpersons

The suspension of the chairmen of Bukkuyum, Umar Faru, and Kaura Namoda, Mannir Haidara, by the Zamfara State House of Assembly on Wednesday has continued to generate reactions in the northwestern state.

The House, after receiving a report from its Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Committee, decided to suspend the two local government council bosses over alleged financial misconduct.

“Invitations were sent to them (Chairmen) for them to explain expenditures in their councils but they deliberately refused to honour the invitations. Following deliberations, presided by the Speaker, the House unanimously adopted the committee’s recommendations and approved the immediate suspension of the two Chairmen pending the conclusion of the investigation,” Bello Madaro, the Assembly’s spokesperson, told journalists in Gusau.

While members and supporters of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state applaud the suspension, members of the opposition parties see it as a witch-hunt especially towards Mr Faru, who refused to follow Governor Dauda Lawal to the APC last month.

Mr Faru, who was elected as chairman under the Peoples Democratic Party, just like the governor, refused to defect to APC. He has been criticising the governor and the APC since the decamping in March.

Mr Haidara, the Kaura chairman, was among those who joined the APC.

The Assembly’s deputy speaker, Adamu Aliyu, said the suspension has no political undertones.

He said the House standing committee sent memos to all the 14 council bosses to provide details of their expenditures.

“After they responded, we sent them an invitation and gave them days and time to come separately and explain their responses to us. 12 of them came but these two(Bukkuyum and Kaura Namoda) refused to honour the invitation. We sent them letters of reminder thrice but they refused to comply,” Mr Aliyu, who is also the chairman of the local government and chieftaincy affairs committee, said.

However, speaking to DCL Hausa on Saturday, the suspended Bukkuyum Chairman, Mr Faru said his suspension was politically motivated.

He accused the House of Assembly of suspending him because he refused to join the APC.

“The House sent us an itinerary to face its committee to discuss our spendings. When I saw it, I sent a letter to the House notifying them that I was going to Mecca for my lesser pilgrimage and asked them to choose a new date for me when I return. No official communication was sent to me when I returned, I only heard that I refused to honour their invitation.

“They said I was invited thrice, I’m challenging them to show me the letter they sent to me thrice. They don’t have that evidence because no one invited me thrice. But I sent them a letter and they acknowledged receiving it,” Mr Faru said.

Mr Faru said the House of Assembly doesn’t have the constitutional right to suspend him, therefore, he would continue to parade himself as chairman.

“I suspect that it’s because I didn’t follow them to APC. I said my local government is facing serious attacks so, why would I join the APC? I told them that I’ll only join APC when the security situation in my area improves,” he said.

Mr Faru said the federal government never withheld the Zamfara State government allocations when Mr Lawal, the governor, was in PDP.

“His allocation was never withheld by the federal government when he was in PDP… He (Mr Lawal) doesn’t have the right to withhold our funds because this is enrishned in the constitution, local government funds belong to the local government so he can’t withhold because I’m not a member of his party.”

The spokesperson to Zamfara State governor, Sulaiman Bala – Idris, didn’t respond to an SMS and WhatsApp messages sent to him over the development. His known phone number was unreachable.