The truce in Zamfara

The political crisis that rocked Zamfara State in the past fortnight over moves by members of the State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Abdul-Aziz Yari Abubakar ended peacefully with the signing of a truce earlier this week. It was announced on Sunday that the two sides reached a truce following the intervention of traditional […]

The political crisis that rocked Zamfara State in the past fortnight over moves by members of the State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Abdul-Aziz Yari Abubakar ended peacefully with the signing of a truce earlier this week. It was announced on Sunday that the two sides reached a truce following the intervention of traditional rulers and other stakeholders from within and outside the state. Yari told newsmen shortly after the reconciliation meeting summoned by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at Government House in Gusau that all the wrongs done by the two feuding sides had been forgiven. Yari also said the two sides agreed to continue to work together for the development of the state.
On his part, Speaker of the state House of Assembly Sanusi Garba Rikiji said all the terms and conditions for the reconciliation were considered by both legislature and the executive. He assured of the lawmakers’ required support and cooperation, saying they were satisfied with the level of mediation by respected politicians and traditional rulers from within and outside the state. He said, “We have virtually reconciled based on the terms and conditions we have signed. It is obvious that our primary duty as lawmakers is to aspire for the development of the state as contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
It will be recalled that two weeks ago, members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly made a move to impeach Governor Yari Abubakar and listed six impeachable offences they said he committed. The Assembly’s Information Committee chairman Mannir Gidan Jaja accused the governor of misappropriating billions of naira from state coffers. Other allegations included misappropriating N11 billion bailout funds and N1 billion agricultural loans released to the state by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); abuse of local government funds and failing to remit funds deducted for pensions and gratuities to pension fund administrators. The members also alleged that Yari, who is chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, ignored a House resolution not to appoint Murtala Jangebe as chairman of the state Universal Basic Education Board. The Assembly had passed a vote of no confidence on Jangebe after he was allegedly found to have misappropriated over N1 billion belonging to the board in 2014.
The MPs also accused Yari of undertaking frequent foreign trips, which according to them constituted a financial burden on the state and negatively impacted on day-to-day running of government. In an ugly twist to the case, Department of State Service (DSS) agents arrested Speaker Rikiji, his deputy Muhammad Abubakar Gumi, majority leader Isah Abdulmumini and the chief whip Abdullahi Dansadau and detained them in Abuja. They were released after widespread condemnations.  Governor Yari later said some politicians were behind the moves to impeach him. The state’s APC chapter then threatened the legislators, saying they would be punished if they failed to apologise to Governor Yari.
The crisis in Zamfara surprised observers because both the governor and the assembly members belong to APC. In the end it was their party, along with traditional rulers and other important citizens of the state who were able to quench the fire and achieve a truce between the two warring sides. However there are a few things to be said. One is that the charges made by the lawmakers against Yari deserve answer and even if a truce is reached, the traditional rulers and party leaders that brokered the peace should carefully look into the allegations and, if they have any substance, should be carefully addressed for the good of the state.
The role played by DSS in the Zamfara affair deserves the strongest condemnation. Arresting the speaker and key assembly leaders in order to foil an impeachment plot is illegal, reckless and a threat to constitutional order because MPs have the constitutional power to impeach a governor or, for that matter, the president. Such ignoble abuse of power should never happen again in this land.