Bauchi Assembly crisis: Tukur reveals real reason behind conflict

A former member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Muhammad Aminu Tukur, has described the leadership crisis rocking the state assembly as a case of a tattouer, who does not want to be tattooed.

According to him, the conflict that came with the inauguration of the house was not in the interest of the state but personal quest for leadership and position.

Tukur stated this on Tuesday while addressing the ad-hoc committee set up by the speaker House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, to wade into the Bauchi State House of Assembly leadership crisis, held at the Command Guest House in Bauchi.

He said that the legislative arm of government remains the pivot of democracy in any given circumstances for transparency in the administration of Justice, governance and national cohesion.

The former lawmaker cited Order 2, rule 2 of the standing orders of the Bauchi State House of Assembly 2017 as amended states that, “on the first day of the meeting of Bauchi State House of Assembly pursuant of the proclamation of the Governor of Bauchi State, members shall assembly at the time and place so appointed. Here no specification is mentioned of time of convergence.”

Tukur maintained that the event that took place on the floor of the chamber of the state House of Assembly on the May 15, 2019 as the 8th assembly was to round up its legislative activities, adding that the former speaker of the assembly, along with 11 selected members, acting on the script of former Governor Mohammed Abubakar, converged at the house as early as 7am and repealed a law that was enacted by the same house in 2017.

“The law was for the then Governor to use to recover looted state properties in the possession of his immediate predecessor. On losing his second term bid and sensing nemesis would catch up with him, he summoned his cronies in the house to do his bidding against the standing orders of the house. This was effectively done before most of us could arrive at the stated time of 10 am, a clear contradiction to the standing orders in place,” he said.

Tukur called on the members of the 9th assembly of Bauchi State to eschew bitterness and rancour and put the interest of the state first above personal quest, stressing that the state cannot afford to have a state executive arm of government tailored to serve a certain interest of the past that was characterized with failed promises to continue to direct the affairs of 6 million people in the state.