By Amos Tauna
Factional Chairman All Progressive Congress, APC, in Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria, Mr. Mataimaki Tom Maiyashi, has lamented the action of Governor Nasir El-Rufai in scrapping 4,766 Districts and Village Heads in the state , saying it has the potential of generating crises.
According to Maiyashi, if government does not obey the court order restraining it from taking further actions on the traditional institution, it would be a bad omen for the image of the state government.
The APC chieftain was reacting to the Kafanchan Court ruling which restrained Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai from sacking the Districts and Village Heads in the state.
The Kaduna State Government had through the recommendation of a committee dropped 4,766 Districts and village heads. The state government also said that it will only recognised 77 Districts and 1,429 Village Heads that existed in the state before 2001.
“The court injunction has restrained our fears and apprehension on the Governor’s policy. From fillers, this thing has a lot of interests and resentment on what the government has done.
“To have sacked 4,766 District/Village Heads in the State is disheartening. The process in which the government took to bring about this policy is not to the best interest of the general public, we knew there is going to be disenchantment, and our fears is that this thing should not degenerate to a level whereby it could create chaos and anarchy in the State.
“The proper thing that should be done has now been done. Those that are aggrieved with this policy can go to court which is the most civilised thing to do, which has now given room for government to have a second look on what it has done and maybe, modify its ways or do something else,” he explained.
The APC Chieftain urged the public to give the state governor the benefit of the doubt to conduct himself in a more responsible manner and be a model of obedient to what the law of the land said.
“If government does not respect court order, it is invariably saying that any other person can take the law into his hands, and that will be a very dangerous precedence for the government.
“So, government should obey the court orders for the interest of the people, her image and integrity.
“We commend this process that has been taken, and we are appealing to the entire citizens of Kaduna State to take this thing calmly, because it has the potential of degenerating into crises.
“We also want to called on the traditional rulers to calm their people so as to ensure that peace prevail and let justice take its course to a logical conclusion,” Maiyashi advised.
He observed that with the court injunction restraining the government from sacking the District/Village Heads, they would now continue their normal official duties, while the court proceedings continue until further court ruling.
