Sokoto Governor Sacks 15 District Heads, Mulls New Law

Relations between the government of Sokoto State and the traditional institution are fast degenerating with Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s planned new law on the appointment of traditional rulers that seeks to grant him absolute power to appoint and sack chiefs in the state.

Ahmed Aliyu has already had the proposed legislation approved by his Executive Council for onward transmission to the state house of assembly.

The state’s Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Nasiru Mohammed Binji, told news men that the Council seeks the amendment of the District Heads Appointment Law of 2008, which vests the authority of such appointments in the Sultanate Council to a new legislation that makes the act exclusive to be State Governor.

The development is coming after incidences that indicate for many observers, stern and menacing intentions towards the Sultanate Council on the part of the Government, since the inception of Ahmed Aliyu’s administration in May last year.

A couple of months back, the Sokoto state government announced the sacking of fifteen District Heads and the redeployment of two others, through the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Abubakar Bawa, made the announcement in Sokoto.

According to the government, the action followed the consideration and decision to implement the recommendations of a committee earlier instituted to: “Review the Appointments of Traditional rulers, Renaming of Tertiary institutions and the Dissolution of Governing Boards of state parastatals.”

The government said that nine of the deposed District Heads were axed “for offences bordering on insubordination, aiding insecurity, land racketeering, conversion of public properties for personal use, and in the overriding public interest.”

Six of the fifteen District Heads, the Marafan Tangaza, Sarkin Gabas Kalambaina, Bunun Gongono, Sarkin Kudu Yar Tsakkuwa, Sarkin Tambuwal and Sarkin Yamman Toronkawa, were “dropped for the unprocedural processes in their appointments by the immediate past administration as well as, their total rejection by their subjects.”