By Aliyu Dangida
A FRESH leadership crisis is rocking the Jigawa State House of Assembly following the impeachment of Alhaji Idris Garba as speaker, last week.

Garba was removed for alleged for high-hardness, misappropriation and arrogance by 25 members of the House.

The fresh controversy arose after Idris and his loyalists claimed that the impeachment did not follow due process and hence the resort to the courts.

To that effect, about 14 of the 25 members, who signed the impeachment register and the state Attorney  General were served with a court sermon through a Kano-based legal practitioner, challenging their action by the former speaker.

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Alleged  greed

Members had, last week, reconvened on the prompting of the deputy speaker, Hon. Ahmed Garba, to deliberate on the impeachment, which they had been nursing on account of alleged greed members had raised against the speaker.

While some concealed their ill feelings against the former speaker, others claimed that he behaved arrogantly to his colleagues and failed to answer phone calls from some members.

Associates of the former speaker, however, dispute the claim saying the action was essentially a political move to damage Idris. Sources close to the state assembly nevertheless claim that there were underlying reasons for the impeachment.

It was gathered that the aggrieved members deliberately refused to state financial mismanagement as part of the reasons for his removal to avoid portraying themselves in bad light as the alleged scam will put some members and other principal officers of the house in bad light.

Part of the alleged financial mismanagement raised against Idris Garba involved the Christmas/New Year cash gift given to members by the state governor, Mohammed Abubakar and the fund released for the renovation of the state assembly complex and former speaker’s official residence.

When the impeachment notice was circulated, last Monday, in the assembly, the deputy speaker, Ahmed Garba explained among other reasons that the removal of the former speaker was informed by his rigidity, uncompromising disposition and unilateral opinion in implementing the decision of the assembly.

His words: “We, the undersigned, the 25 members of Jigawa State House of Assembly representing various constituencies have unanimously resolved to impeach the speaker, Garba Idris with immediate effect. “He arrogates too much power to himself, which led to a loss of confidence in his ability as a leader for effective leadership.”

Idris, however, rejected the assertion and the process used against him as he immediately went to court.

Counsel to the embattled Idris, Barrister Sale Mohammed Tirmizi, said his client had sued the 25 members of the assembly that signed for his impeachment and the Attorney General of the state.

Barrister Tirmizi explained that his client had instituted the case before the state High Court because the procedure followed for his impeachment was contrary to section 6 (4) Rules of  Jigawa State House Assembly 2011, which stipulates that for a speaker or his deputy to be removed a copy of allegations necessitating for removal from office must be made available to the person concerned.

Child’s play  and deceit

According to him, the affected person must step aside to give way for a  committee to investigate the matter and the officer in question must also be given an opportunity to defend himself adding that in this situation the processes were not followed.

“Based on the reasons made available, the so-called impeachment is illegal, therefore, null and void. We can’t fold our arms as law makers to see others breaking the law; it is a child’s play and deceit,” the former speaker voiced out.