THESHIELD Garkuwa
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As the controversy on the proposed traditional institution law rages in Sokoto State, the state’s High Court has issued an order restraining Governor Ahmed Aliyu from sacking two of the 15 District Heads his government has earlier removed from their seats.
The order was sought seperately by Alhaji Buhari Dahiru Tambuwal and Alhaji Abubakar Kassim, the District Heads of Tambuwal and Kebbe respectively, who are among the rulers removed by the Sokoto State Government, on the allegation of insurbodination and aiding insecurity in the state
The presiding judge, Justice Kabiru Ibrahim Ahmed, however ordered the Governor of Sokoto State, his
Attorney General and the
Sokoto Sultanate Council
to revert to status quo, pending the determination of the suite filed before him by the complainants, who were represented by Prof Ibrahim Abdullahi SAN.
Justice Ahmed through two orders directed the defendants, their agents
servants, privies or assigns or any person acting on their behalves to “maintain status quo and or stay all actions and or further actions in
connection with all matters dealing with and or appertaining to the removal and or dethronement of
Districts Heads in Sokoto State”,
particularly those of Kebbe and Tambuwal, pending the
hearing and determination of the motion for interlocutory injunction duly filed before the court.
The development is coming as Ahmed Aliyu’s bill for the amendment of the Local Government Law, affecting the appointment of district and village heads, to confer him with exclusive power to appoint traditional rulers.
Aready, the sacking of the 15 district heads and the proposed bill in Sokoto has generated swift reactions across the country, with the Vice President, Kashim Shettima calling on the Sokoto State Government to regard the Sultan as an idea that must be preserved and protected, while former Vice President and PDP presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar demanded that traditional institutions must be protected from the “excesses of state governors”.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) in two separate statements,warned Ahmed Aliyu to shelve the idea of removing the Sultan of Sokoto or whittling his powers and insisting that the Governor was targeting the monarch and planning to create a parallel Sultanate Council under the guise of the new law.
Sokoto State Legislature has last Wednesday, passed the bill to its second reading and refered the matter to a House Committee. A public hearing on the bill is scheduled for next Tuesday.
