Sokoto Govt Finally Strips Sultan Of Powers To Appoint District, Village Heads

The Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, has signed the amended Sokoto Local Government and Chieftaincy Law, which effectively strips the Sultan, Sa’ad Abubakar, of the powers to appoint district and village heads in the state.

The law was signed by Governor Aliyu on Thursday along with five others after they were passed by the State House of Assembly.

The Governor, however, denied insinuations that the local government and chieftaincy law was targeted at witch-hunting the Sultan, but rather to strengthen good governance in the state.

He said those spreading contrary opinions are politically motivated or simply ignorant.

“We note with concern the unnecessary tension created by our proposal to amend some of these laws.

“Some of the reactions were politically motivated while others were done ignorantly without care to inquire from the right quarters on the details and intention of the amendment.

“It is a known fact that in every society, laws are enacted and amended to suit the needs of time and interest of the governed in line with circumstances at hand. Previous administrations had amended one law or the other in the state with a view to giving the state laws the needed touch that would fast track peace and development.

“Let me make it clear that the just amended laws are not meant to winch-hunt any individual or group but rather to promote good governance and to remove the ambiguity and inconsistency with the nation’s constitution,” Governor Aliyu stated.