Nasarawa: Gov Al-Makura and the politics of LG reforms

Written by Hir Joseph, Lafia Thursday, 23 June 2011 00:00

Nasarawa State governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, appears to be threading with care presumably to avoid stepping on the many landmines laid in his way by his predecessor, Aliyu Akwe Doma. But critics say his attitude so far, concerning the administration of the 13 local government areas of the state leaves a lot to be desired.

Al-Makura has continued to promise change, though, talking more about leading a representative government that will be “corrective” in nature to rediscover the state from the last 12 years of total dominance in the hands of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Al-Makura’s predecessor, Doma handed over the 13 councils to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) politician, with civil servants manning them. In a broadcast before leaving office, Doma had announced sacking of the councils’ chairmen from their offices on November 3, 2010, after he shortened their three-year term by one year. He said an amendment of the Local Government’s Law 2008 ushered in the elected chairmen and their councilors. But a High Court in the state reversed his decision, calling it illegal. The court declared that the tenure of the chairmen was still running because the said amendment the former governor claimed did not exist.

The court declaration was sought by Barrister Mohammed Sani Bawa, chairman of Nasarawa Local Government who led the crusade for the reinstatement of the sacked chairmen, exploring both political and legal means. The only lawyer among the 13 sacked chairmen, Bawa, served as the legal adviser to the Association of Local Governments in Nigeria (ALGON) in the state. His case at the court, however talked about him only, as his 12 other colleagues preferred to explore the political options first. So the judge declared for his reinstatement, and avoided naming the other chairmen as beneficiaries too, although the ruling declared that the LG Law provided for a three-year term, and not two as Doma claimed.

Doma did not comply by reinstating Barrister Bawa, or all of them, preferring rather, to seek a stay of execution after he had ordered armed policemen to stop the beneficiary from assuming office when he went there in February.

After he lost his second term bid, the former governor made a u-turn and made frantic efforts to return the chairmen. He first met with the state caucus of the PDP, which the state assembly speaker, Musa Ahmed Mohammed is a member. He sought the caucus’ support for his last minute plan, which was going to bury a landmine for his successor. The caucus reportedly endorsed this, but reminded him of some debts owed state assembly members.

So the former governor handed to Al-Makura, the councils manned by civil servants, and left for Abuja on the eve of May 29. This is one of the liabilities he inherited, as a result of which he had declared that he will walk carefully, because much of the liabilities are landmines which he must not step on so that his administration does not end up with torn limbs in its early days.

But observers say Al-Makura is going about the issue of the councils as if his hands are already carrying some explosives he is making himself. In his first week in office, he reinstated the Nasarawa chairman, Bawa.

While waiting for Doma to act, Bawa decided to dump the PDP and pitched tent with Al-Makura in the CPC where he served as local government Returning Agent for the party during the April 26 governorship election. He defected alongside members of the sacked executive council, the sacked councilors and the 42 Special Assistants who served during the dispensation. His reinstatement is widely viewed as reward for his bravery against Doma, but Al-Makura had said his action was informed by his desire to remain abiding by the rule of law.

Ironically the law has provided for a three-year term for chairmen across board. Not only that, Al-Makura had met before and after his inauguration, with the sacked chairmen and discussed ways of ending the impasse. But with the provision of the law, the meetings and consultations over this matter, as well as his declaration to run a “corrective government”, not a few critics are surprised that Al-Makura is yet to take a bold step at reinstating the chairmen.

“It will be a political plus for Al-Makura to reinstate the PDP chairmen who were sacked by their boss,” said an analyst. The analyst who believes that Al-Makura is hesitant at returning the chairmen to complete their tenure because of their political affiliation, added: “If that is so, he is being afraid of nothing; because if he brings them back, it will earn him some sympathy even among PDP members?”

“And who said those chairmen will not just simply decamp to the CPC as a show of gratitude and loyalty. After all, they did not work for the PDP at the polls because they were fighting Doma all through,” said the analyst who wouldn’t want his name in print.

However, Al-Makura prefers to wait for the ruling from the Makurdi Federal Appeal where the remaining 12 chairmen went to seek to be joined as beneficiaries of the earlier court declaration.

As he waits, the councils are being run by civil servants, a complete violation of the provisions of the law he vowed to protect. Meanwhile, the fate of these chairmen hangs in the balance, with members continually begging for him to see reason to return them. The chairman of the Association of Local Governments in Nigeria (ALGON) in the state, Musai Saidu of Awe Local Government Area, had said that all of his members have been waiting and are expecting the new governor to correct the wrong of the past administration by reinstating them. “He is a respecter of law. He is a complete gentleman, and we are hoping he will look into the constitution and reinstate us for us to complete our three years”, Musa Saidu said.

Silas Agara, Secretary of the Transition Task Force, had reacted that the committee has nothing to say about the tenure of the sacked chairmen for now, because “the case is before the court; there is nothing we can do.”He, however, acknowledged that there is a constitutional provision for a three-year term for the sacked chairmen.

By and large, Al-Makura is promising reforms that will make the councils unattractive for corrupt public office holders. He has also promised to tackle all the ills that have attended the administration of the local government areas in the state, including illegal cuts from their federal allocations, appointment of illegal committees including civil servants to run the councils, and many other such fragrant abuse of law.

But the fundamental question still agitating the minds of critics is how can Al-Makura achieve this feat when he is not capable of taking one simple, but bold step to correct a recent ill, by returning elected chairmen to their seats which have illegally been occupied by civil servant since 2010?

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