From John Adams, Minna
The ongoing investigation by the Niger state house of Assembly Ad -hoc committee over missing tractors belonging to the 25 local government councils in the state took a different dimension on Friday as the committee has summoned the state Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Haliru Zakari Jikanktoro to appear before it.
The APC Chairman is to appear before the house on Monday, August 15th 2023 alongside Kabiru Abbas, and Hakilu Musa Kuta, a permanent secretary in the state civil service.
It will be recalled that the Niger state House of Assembly had during plenary, last month, constituted a seven man legislative committee to unravel the circumstances leading to the disappearance of 72 tractors, belonging to the local government councils in the state.
This followed a motion of urgent public importance presented by Hon. Malik Madaki Bosso, informing the lawmakers that a petition was written to the speaker by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, seeking the intervention of the house on the matter.
A petition by the President state chapter of Nigerian Union of Local Government Employee (NULGE) Idris Abdulkareem Lafene, to the house of assembly had sought for the intervention of to the lawmakers to investigate the disappearance of the tractors.
The NULGE President in the petition said the union was concerned about the redundancy of its workers at the local government level and had to raise the matter especially now that the raining season had set in.
However the decision of the house to invite the APC Chairman was based on the premises that he was the commissioner for local government, community development and chieftaincy affairs during the tractors saga.
His then permanent secretary that served in the ministry, Hakilu Musa Kura is also to appear before the house for further investigation.
The house committee is chaired by member representing Bosso Constituency Malik Madaki Bosso who is also the chairman, house committee on labour matter.
However the present permanent secretary ministry for local government and chieftaincy affairs, Abubakar Aliyu while answering questions from journalists said he is ready to comply and avail every information the committee need to solve and address the issue of the missing tractors.