The 2019 Local Government Establishment Law number four that was passed into law is said to have a serious defect.
Its defect as according to a lawyer was a deliberate effort created by Adamawa State House of Assembly Lawmakers to keep on shielding the administration of Rt Hon Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri against the Democracy norms.
The constitutional lawyer and a public affairs analyst, Barrister Pwamaddi Shagnah blasted the Adamawa State lawmakers to have passed such a law which is in total variance with the provision of Nigeria constitution over Local Government administration.
He said the ideal thing to have done by the state lawmakers is to make a law that will force the government of Ahmadu to table any list or names for approval and scrutiny as is usually done by other committees like development areas and commissioners lists.
According to Shagnah any Caretaker manager committee or arrangements for Local Governments of whatever type is Unconstitutional, quoting section 7 of the 1999 constitution as amended which Fintiri, Adamawa Speaker, Aminu Iya Abbas, and any other lawmaker has sworn to defend and uphold is explicit on that issue. For this, is being expected by the lawmakers to do the right thing, but they are seen to have fallen short of a supposed standard of their status.
He further said that the Supreme court has also made so many pronouncements on the illegality of any form of arrangement in the local government other than democratically elected councils
But they passed a law that is having a serious defect and meaningless because the law didn’t give the lawmakers the powers to even approve the caretaker committee list by the Governor.
Wondering how the assembly is fooled to a condemnable tricked to have stooped so law and passed a law that will not allow them to checkmate the state government. An act Pwamaddi explained they are more of rubber stamps than elected lawmakers.
“Previous laws they have passed on areas development, commissioners, and other appointments were done to enable them to approve any list from the executive arm of the government but why is this one different?” He asked
“This is a clear instance to show that Adamawa state government has pocketed the assembly as his personal property. No wonder we are not getting the desired results, they sold out their conscience and the functions of why the electorates have elected them to do are not yielding any results.
“Even if one is trying to look at it or justify it as management committee that will serve the interest of Adamawa masses in each of the local government, but the question will be who are those that will make the laws in all the local government knowing the fact that councilors they were not elected?
“As far as I’m concerned management committee is illegal, we have the former Chief Judge,Bamari Bansin pronouncement and supreme court judgment on that effect. We will thrash this in court soon since our lawmakers do not know what they are supposed to do because they are been bought over.
” We have uncared lawmakers concerning the need of Adamawa masses. They are just after their interest. Every committee or name of a person penciled down for an appointment must be brought to the house to decide, but why is this one different? It allows the governor to do what he feels right for him to do? It is anti-Democracy, anti-people and we must fight to make sure that the right thing is done.
“This Law they must reverse to it and make amendments, its defects and weaknesses are cancerous to democracy and our people, it has only given the Governor the powers to just announce anything on any day of whoever he feels he can appoint without having an approval from the house and this is not how the law works.
“They all sold us out as government objects by passing a defected law into action. This is a clear fight against democracy, they are no doubt enemy and saboteurs of our growing Democracy.” Pwamaddi added
The Deputy Majority Leader of the House and Chairman House standing Committee on information, Honourable Japhet Kefas of Gombi Constituency was not answering all the calls placed through his line to respond to all alleges raised by Shannah by our correspondent as at the of filling in this report.
