By Godwin Kingsley Nasarawa State House of Assembly on Tuesday gave a matching order to Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura to sack the commissioner on electoral matters to the Nasarawa Independent Electoral Commission, Hassan Ibrahim for being partisan.
The sack was recommended by the House on grounds that Ibrahim ridiculed it in an interview granted to The Forum, a programme on Nasarawa Broadcasting Service, NBS.
Hon. Tanko Umar Tunga, Chairman Joint Committe on Information, Security & Special duties and committee on NASIEC who presented the report of his committee to the House, accused Hon. Ibrahim of undermining the powers of the house and recommended that he should be sacked or made to retract his statement.
“The committee was asked to verify the truthfulness of Hon. Ibrahim Hassan’s statement on NBS TV on January 21, 2014 where he said the LG law passed by the House can only be bidding on us. We invited him for questioning and after he denied making such statement, he owned up because we showed him the video clip. He apologise to the house and said it happened as a result of over zealousness.
“However, the committee recommends that since the commissioner pleaded and accepted that he was a politician before, he can’t hold such position and should be removed. Secondly, since he has apologised, the House may pardon him and make him to retract his statement through the same medium”, he said.
Deliberating on the Matter, Anthony Obande representing Doma South Constituency aligned himself with the first recommendation of the committee.
He said, anybody who is holding such office must not be partisan and requested for the removal of the commissioner. Danladi Jatau from Kokona West constituency said Governor Al-makura is a product of free and fair election and should avail aspirants of local government election the same privilege.
He also submitted that the said commissioner be dismissed within 24 hours for partisanship.
Also contributing, Francis Orugu, member representing Keana Constituency was not only of the opinion that the commissioner be removed, he also requested that the committee should be directed to visit NASIEC and other security outfit in the state to assess their level of preparedness to conduct local council polls in March.
Orugu who is also the Chairman House Committee on Public Account, raised alarm over the new youth empowerment programme intiated by the governor.
He noted with dismay how the governor abolished youth empowerment programme initiated by previous administrations and bringing a new policy that is not captured in the budget.
He accused governor Al-makura of injecting 400 million naira ‘illegal funds’ into the youth empowerment programme.
Orugu, therefore prayed the House to summon the Commissioner for Youths, Special Adviser to the governor on Youth development and the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Youth Empowerment to appear before it for questioning.
At the end of the deliberation, the House resolved that the commissioner on electoral matters to NASIEC, should be removed from office for gross misconduct.
The Assembly also mandated its standing joint committee on Information, security and Special Duties and committee on NASIEC to visit the commission and other security outfits in state to assess the level of preparedness for the elections.
It also lifted the embargo placed on NBS for the purpose of re-broadcasting the interview of the commissioner for the people of the state to judge.
The Assembly however, requested the presence of the 3 state government officials in charge of youth development for questioning on Wednesday January 29.
It would be recalled that the controversial LG law was passed by two third majority of the House after governor Al-makura refused to accent to the bill of the House which allows local government council officials in office for a year.
