Nigeria recorded yet another
national embarrassment as the
members of Nasarawa state
House of Assembly exchanged
blows, tore clothes, broke
bottles, broke chairs and broke
noses.
The members engaged in a
free-for-all on Monday over the
appointment of sole
administrators for 11 local
government councils by
Governor Tanko Al-Makura.
The trouble occurred on the
floor of the legislature barely
two hours after the governor
inaugurated the 11 sole
administrators.
Some of the members sided
Governor Al-Makura while
others were against it because
of what the constitution says.
a member, House Committee on
Information, Mr. Makpa Malla,
said that seats and tables were
broken during the fight.
Describing the appointment by
the governor as illegal, Malla
said the Assembly could not
continue to watch the governor
perpetrate illegalities in the
state.
He said, “As you can see, this is
the executive room of the state
House of Assembly, where we
sit down every morning to
discuss matters which would
bring development to the state
and the country at large.
“Categorically, I want to state
here that the division which
caused this chaos was as result
of the appointment of the sole
administrators by the governor.
As a responsible legislature
with some of us as lawyers, we
insisted that the right thing
must be done.
“The Section 7 of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria – as
amended – guarantees a
democratic system of
governance at the local
government level. The provision
of the constitution is explicit on
how the local government
structure should be run.
“That is why we are kicking
against the appointment of the
sole administrators. Sole
administrators only existed
during the military era and as
respecters of the rule of law,
we must ensure that the
executive must also respect the
rule of law.”
