The Jigawa State House of Assembly has banned local government legislators from the impeachment of a speaker without notifying the state House of Assembly.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Hon. Ibrahim Hashim Kanya, on behalf of the Hon. Speaker Rt. Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen.
The new directives follow the recent announcement of the impeachment of the Garki Local Government Speaker by the councillors of the council.
Hon. Kanya said the removal of the Garki council speaker is against the law and violated due process.
According to him, “the state House of Assembly cautions local government legislators against impeachment of any speaker of the local government council in the state without its consent.”
“The removal of the Garki council speaker by the legislators is null and void as it is against the law and does not fulfill legal requirements, therefore the speaker remains in his position.”
Kanya also urged the councillors in the state to abide by the law and consult the state House of Assembly before making such a decision.
Reacting to the directives, some of the councillors of the Garki local government council accused the Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin, of breaching constitutional provisions and violating the Supreme Court rule on local government autonomy.
They said the actions of the speaker contravene the Nigerian Constitution and violate the Supreme Court rule on local government autonomy.
“What we did is not against the law, we did it based on the power given to all the three tiers of government by the Nigerian Constitution.
“We never contacted or for once discussed any issues, any matters that need our approval as contained in the Constitution, especially Garki local council financial spending, contract awards and payment, no formation of any committee at local council, inspection of projects for assessment and monitoring under oversight duties, and many other things,” the councillors accused.
The Council Assembly, in its sitting on Friday attended by seven councillors out of ten, dissolved the leadership and elected Abdussamad Adam, Garki Ward Councillor, as new Speaker; Magajin Dahiru, Siyore Ward, as Deputy Speaker; Danjuma Abdullahi, Gunku Ward, as Majority Leader; and Muhammad Sale, Largo Ward, as Chief Whip.
