By Yemi Monday
Reactions have continued to trail the removal of elder statesman, Alhaji Muhammadu Bello Kirfi, as Wazirin Bauchi by the Bauchi Emirate Council as directed by the Secretary to State Government (SSG) through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for alleged disrespect and disloyalty to the State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir.
The State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the act in its totality, saying that it was uncalled for and a ridicule of the tradition institution.
Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the APC in Bauchi, Comrade Sabo Mohammed, who is also the Spokesperson of the APC Governorship candidate, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar (rtd), told Global Upfront Newspapers (GUN) in a telephone interview on Wednesday, accused the Bauchi State government of undermining the affairs of the traditional institution in the State.
According to him, “We received with deep shock and saddening the announcement of suspension of one of the most elder stateman in person of Alhaji Bello Kirfi , the Wazirin Bauchi. We are worried because the suspension of highly respected traditional title holders in Bauchi Emirate is becoming a reccuring incident.
“You will recall that the Jakadan Bauchi, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Barr Yakubu Dogara was suspended in a very skirmish politically motivated circumstance as well as the Wakilin Birni, he was also suspended in what majority of the citizenry viewed as politically motivated and now it just happened to Wazirin Bauchi, who only spoke about the state of the nation as well as the state of the State affairs in Bauchi State.”
“Our perception is that as a Nigerian, he is entitled to his own opinion. It’s his personal opinion and I think a government that is claiming to be a democratic government should as well respect the divergent opinion of the citizenry.
“We are calling on all the right thinking Bauchi State indigenes to rise to this challenge because our traditional institution is being intimidated, is being subjected to political manipulation by the government of the day to achieve or to score a political goal. And it will not augur well for the Emirate as well as the institution of which we highly respect and cherish.”
“So, it is not a good development and we are condemning it in totality. And we are ready and willing to ensure that people are given their constitutional rights to voice their opinion on any issue that is within the confine of the law.”
Comrade Mohammed, who observed that the reason given for the removal of the Wazirin Bauchi was sketchy, pointed out that it doesn’t tally with the reality on ground.
According to him, “that’s why we said at the onset, it is just because he called the leaders of thought across the 20 Local Governments and he has spoken about his position on the Presidency as well as that the situation in Bauchi required a rescuer, requires somebody who is going to accommodate all the interests and the intricacies of governance in the State.
“So, by and large, our understanding directly, based on his body posture, he has given a vote of no confidence on the government that he has worked assiduously to form, and that is why we said this thing is becoming a recurring incident and it is not good for the government and it will not augur well for the traditional institution who are ordinarily based on the provision of the constitution they are not partisan, so we are call on all the right thinking people of Bauchi state to ensure that our highly respected traditional institution is not allowed to be used for political motive.
“We as a party, we respect the traditional institution and we know that they have their own limitations and this is not the first time this kind of thing is happening under this administration.
“Why now when the Waziri of Bauchi called a meeting, expressed his opinion on national and State issues and that is what we felt triggered this action, so the reason given is just a cover up.
We respect the traditional institution but look at it, it said ‘on the instructions of the Honourable Commissioner ministry of Local government and chieftaincy affairs, so that is what brought the iota of political undertone on the issue.
Comrade Sabo Mohammed then appealed to the Bauchi State government to respect the divergent opinions of the citizenry, irrespective of the party affiliation.
According to him: “Our thinking, as somebody who claimed to be a democrat should as well listen to the constructive criticisms with a view to at least correct the problem raised by some of these Elder statesmen in the State.
“From the information we received, there are a lot of dissatisfaction on the way and manner in which the administration of the State is been run and that is why they decided to say that they will talk about the state of the State affairs in a later date and that’s why this decision we felt is a precondition to scuttle that meeting that is intended to actually for the elder statesman to categorically and unequivocally state their position on the state of affairs.
“And so, we are saying that this government, as a democratic one, should learn to adapt to the tenets of democracy and one of the important tenets of democracy which is lacking under this administration is for the government to accommodate the divergent views on issues that are within the confine of the law.”