SULTANATE: Despite public outcry, Sokoto Assembly passes controversial Local Government Bill, awaiting Governor’s assent

By OUR REPORTER, Sokoto

The Sokoto State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, passed the Sultanate Council Bill, among other legislative Bills, into Law.

This was despite huge outcry across the country particularly from the Muslim Ummah of Nigeria against any attempt by Governor Ahmad Aliyu, the originator of the Bill, to tamper with the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and the throne of the Sultanate.

It will be recalled that Execitive Director of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola, said the governor gave him his word, in a tripartite conference telephone call with an unnamed very influential Islamic scholar based in Sokoto, that he would no longer continue with the idea.

However, the State House of Assembly went ahead on Tuesday to pass the Local Government Bill, which will among other things strip the powers of the Sultan to appoint Village Heads.

The Bill, which passage was announced in a statement by Aminu Abdullahi, Head of New Media Unit of the Assembly, dated Tuesday 9th July 2024, and copy of which was made available to Our Reporter in Sokoto, is now awaiting the Governor’s assent to become Law.

Full text of the statement below:

TUESDAY 9th JULY, 2024.

The 10th Sokoto State House of Assembly at its Plenary Session of today Tuesday
9th July, 2024 Presided over by the Deputy Speaker Hon Kabiru Ibrahim Kware Const Received Reports of the:

1) House Committee on Local Government and Community Development on a Bill for a Law to Further Amend the Sokoto State Local Government Law 2008 to Provide For the Tenure of Local Government Councils and For Related Matters. (H. A. 7. 2024) Presented by its Chairman Hon Sa’idu N Ibrahim (Sabon Birni South Const)

2) House Committee on Basic and Secondary Education on a Bill for a Law to Repeal the Arabic and Islamic Education Commission Law No 5 of 2022 and Make Provision for the Establishment of the Arabic and Islamic Education Board to Provide For the Reformation of Qur’anic Schools Almajiri System and for Purposes Connected therewith (H. A. 5. 2024) Presented by its Chairman Hon Abubakar Shehu (Yabo Const)

3) House Committee on Rural Development on a Bill for a Law to Establish the Sokoto State Rural (Access) Roads Agency and for Matters Connected therewith (H. A. 9. 2024) Presented by its Chairman Hon Abubakar Lamido (Wamakko Const)

Thereafter, Hon Sa’idu N Ibrahim (Sabon Birni South Const) rose to crave the Indulgence of the Hon Members to Approve the Recommendations Contained in his Report and Allow them to stand part thereof.
The Recommendations are:

1) That the Local Government Law 2008 be Consolidated with the Local Government Amendment Law No 2, 2016, Local Government Law 2, 2018, Local Government Amendment Law No 2, 2018 and the Local Government Amendment Bill, 2024.

2) That the Long Title of the Bill to Read: A BILL FOR A LAW TO CONSOLIDATE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW 2008 AND FOR PURPOSES CONNECTED THEREWITH.

3) That Section 14(1)(a) of the Law Government Law 2008 be Amended by Substituting for it a New Paragraph (a) instead thereof. (a) “he has attained 25 years of age.”

4) That Section 14(1)(f) of the Local Government Law 2008 be Amended by Deleting Paragraph (f) and (h) and insert a New Paragraph (f) to Read “(f) he has made a Non Refundable Deposit to the Electoral Commission an Amount to be Determined by the Electoral Commission in the Election Guidelines for that Particular Election ”

5) That Section 67 of the Local Government Law 2008 be Amended by Substituting for it a New Section 67 instead thereof to Read: “67” The Estimate of Revenue and Expenditure Maintained in Sections 65(c) and 66 of this Law shall Require the Approval of the House of Assembly by Way of Resolution and Such Approved Estimates shall Guide the Oversight Function over the Local Governments.”

6) That the Local Government Law 2008 be Amended by Deleting Sections 70, 71, 72, 73 and 74.

7) That All Other Technical, Drafting and typographical Errors be Corrected by the Legal Services Department.

By Unanimous Consent, the Hon House Resolved to Approve the Recommendations of the Committee and Allow them to Stand Part of the Report.

Similarly, the Chairmen of the House Committees on Basic and Secondary Education and that of Rural Development Hon Abubakar Shehu (Yabo Const) and Hon Abubakar Lamido (Wamakko Const) also Solicited for the Hon Members to allow the Recommendations Contained in their Reports and allow them to Stand Part thereof Respectively.

By Unanimous Consent, the Hon House Resolved to Approve the Recommendations Contained in the Reports and allow them to Stand Part of the Reports.

Finally, the Majority Leader of the House Hon Muhammad Bello Idris (Gwadabawa North Const) rose to Solicit for the Hon House to allow the Bills for a Law to Further Amend the Sokoto State Local Government Law 2008 to Provide For the Tenure of Local Government Councils and For Related Matters. ( H. A. 7. 2024) as well as A Bill for a Law to Repeal the Arabic and Islamic Education Commission Law No 5 of 2022 and Make Provision for the Establishment of the Arabic and Islamic Education Board to Provide For the Reformation of Qur’anic Schools Almajiri System and for Purposes Connected therewith (H. A. 5. 2024) respectively to have their Third Readings and Pass, by Unanimous Consent, the Hon House allowed the 2 Bills to be given their Third Readings and Passed accordingly.

Signed:
AMINU ABDULLAHI,
Head of New Media Unit,
SOHA.