Anarchy: Two Speakers In Bauchi Assembly

Posted by admin Bauchi, State News Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

Yesterday armed mobile policemen with an armored tank cordoned off the entrance into the Bauchi State House of Assembly denying entrance to all staff, including members of the House in what was an escalation of the leadership crisis that engulfed the House since last week.

The fully armed policemen were at the main entrance of the Assembly complex as early as 6 am and turned back all visitors to the complex, irrespective of what he or she was there to do, a development that grounded official duties at the Assembly until late in the afternoon when members of staff were allowed to enter their various offices.

The state commissioner of police CP Muhammad Indabawa whom the new speaker Halliru Dauda Jika alleged instructed his men to withdraw the new speaker’s aides, denied the allegation. The commissioner said that he received a court order that the impeached speaker had filed a motion in court, which prompted the withdrawal of the aides, adding that he has not received a copy of any motion from a suit which the current speaker claimed to have filed at the state high court.

A source close to the Assembly revealed that the action may not be unconnected with the legal battle on the leadership now going on in different courts, as there are different court orders restraining the two factions from operating at the Assembly pending the determination of the various suits filed before the courts on the matter coupled with the intention of one of the factions to sit at the Assembly yesterday.

The source added that each of the two factions have chosen a time for sitting, saying that while one sits in the early hours of the day even before official working hours, the other sits in the afternoon and with two different Clerks, a development that has brought legislative activities to a near standstill.

The source further accused the state Governor Isa Yuguda of interfering in the Assembly’s activities, disclosing that a move is being made to impeach the governor. While reacting to a court injunction served on him which ordered him not to be parading himself as the new Speaker, the Speaker said that the lawmakers had already filed a motion at the Bauchi High Court on 27th of January seeking the Court to restrain the lower court order from taking effect.

But the State Police Commissioner in a telephone interview denied the allegation saying, “yes I was informed there was a new Speaker and security was provided. The next minute, I was served with a court order contrary to the earlier one. I have to obey the order. I don’t want to be involved in their politics. I am only doing my job as I am supposed to”.

–Leadership

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