Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse
The previous speaker in the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Isa Idris, and three other House members have vowed to challenge the current Speaker, Alhaji Idris Garba, for stripping them of committee chairmanships.
The aggrieved members include the former majority leader from Gumel constituency, Alhaji Isa Isyaku, who was until his removal the Chairman of the Emergency Relief Committee, while the former chief whip from Ringim constituency, Alhaji Aminu Sule, was Chairman, House Committee on Due Process.
Former Speaker Idris, who was the Chairman, House Committee on Dutse Community Development Authority (DCDA), was stripped of his chairmanship along with a member representing Taura, Alhaji Dayyabu Shehu, was removed as Chairman, Committee on Petitions.
The embattled members have accused the Speaker of the House for violating section 118 of the House of Assembly standing rule by not following the appropriate process to punish them, alleging that the state governor, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar Badaru, was complicit for supporting the actions of the Speaker.
In a press briefing held at the weekend, the former Speaker declared that the claim by the current Speaker that their removal was connected to the present economic realities of the country was frivolous and inaccurate, claiming that the monthly allocation of N110 million was not tampered with.
‘We are aware of the grand plan by the Speaker through the advice of the state government to frustrate us from speaking out on irregularities happening in the state,’ Idris said.
Speaker Garba had on Thursday announced the stripping of the said committee chairmanships from the House members and directed that members Alhaji Sale Baba from Buji and Bar Abubakar Sadiq Jallo from Hadejia oversee the committees.