Pandemonium at Sokoto House of Assembly

…Mace broken, Speaker whisked away by security operatives

From: Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto

Pandemonium broke out in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, as some  members of the House attempted to impeach the Speaker, Alhaji Salihu Maidaji.

The aggrieved lawmakers, numbering 10, had accused the Speaker of enriching himself by corrupt means, and called for his immediate impeachment.

Our correspondent reports that drama started when the Speaker arrived the Chamber and ordered the House Leader to commence the proceeding.

But in a counter move, the deputy House Leader, Ibrahim Kabiru Kware, led other aggrieved lawmakers chanting ‘ Barawa Barawo “Hausa meaning ‘thief’.

The chantings, however, caused serious commotion among members, especially those loyal to the Speaker and they engaged in free for all.

The pandemonium caused the House mace to be broken while the Speaker was whisked away by security personnel attached to him.

Addressing newsmen shortly after the fracas, the spokesman of the  aggrieved l0 lawmakers, Hon. Sani Yakubu, representing Gudu constituency, accused the Speaker of being a stooge of the Executive arm.

He lamented that the House had so far approved loan of over N100 billion for the State Government which, according to him, may plunge the state into massive debt that it would not be able to pay for a very long time.

“The Speaker has been spending money recklessly without the approval of the House. We have approved over N100 billion loan to the state government and from now to next year if nothing is done, Sokoto will not be able to pay salary by next year. He has made himself a stooge of the Executive. He has put Sokoto in danger.

“I have been in the House since 2007 and I have never seen a corrupt leader like the present speaker like Maidaji. He is the most corrupt Speaker we have seen.

He disclosed that more members are ready to join other aggreived members to impeach the Speaker in the next seating.

The lawmakers who are apparently from the political camp of the immediate past governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko’s, however denied of having his backing to remove the Speaker.

Responding to the allegation, Speaker Maidaji, described the allegation as ‘false’, saying there was no iota of truth in the allegation.

He denied the allegation that the Speaker used money allotted to the House for the purchase of a house in Abuja

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