Governor Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto State signed into law the contentious Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Amendment Bill that has affected the Sultanate Council and extended the tenure of the LG Chairmen in the state.
The newly enacted law removes the power of the Sultan of Sokoto to appoint or dethrone district and village heads in the state, a move that has sparked significant debate and concern.
While signing the Bill into law, Governor Aliyu addressed the tension surrounding the amendment, emphasizing that the changes were intended to enhance governance, not to target any individual or group
The governor noted with concern the unnecessary tension created by the proposal to amend some of these laws, stressing that some of the reactions were politically motivated, while others were made ignorantly without inquiring from the right quarters about the details and intention of the amendment.
He further cautioned Muslim clerics against being used by politicians to achieve political interest, assuring that his administration remains committed to protecting the interest of people in the state.
Ahmed Aliyu said that with the signing of the law, the tenure of local government chairmen has been increased from two years to three years,”the previous administration in the state had passed a bill that reduced the tenure of LG Chairmen for reasons known only to them”.
He assured that the law would allow the local government chairmen to execute projects and programs for socio-security and economic development of the state
Other bills signed into law are Sokoto State Tenancy Law, Zakkat and endowment law, Discrimination Against People Living with Disability Law, and Rural Roads Law.
NASIR MALALI
