Adamawa acting gov sacks cabinet

•Majority leader removed

THE acting governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Umar Fintiri, has dissolved the cabinet constituted by former governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako (retd).

In a statement signed by Professor Abdullahi Liman Tukur, the Secretary to the State Government, who was sworn in on Thursday, the sack of all political appointees of the Nyako-led administration was with immediate effect.

The statement said following the resignation of the deputy governor and the impeachment of Nyako, commissioners, special advisers, principal assistants, special assistants and other political appointees “are hereby relieved of their appointments.”

The statement directed the dismissed functionaries to hand over government properties in their custody to their respective permanent secretaries and other appropriate officers within government establishment.

Also, the majority leader of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Honourable Ishaq Bala, has been removed.

Bala, a member representing Yola North constituency, was removed for not supporting the impeachment of ousted governor.

He was, accordingly, replaced by Salishu Kabilo from Verre constituency as the new majority leader of the assembly.

In another development, the acting governor has ordered the scrapping of the Special Projects and Programmes Unit (SPPU) under Government House.

This was contained in a press release signed by Solomon Kumangar, Director, Press and Public Affairs, Government House, Yola.

The acting governor directed the state Head of Service to retrieve all government property in custody of the unit with immediate effect.

According to the acting governor, the unit had been a subject of controversy since its establishment, adding that it was done contrary to the law and civil service procedures.

Meanwhile, the sacked commissioners, on Thursday, paid a courtesy visit to the acting governor, pledging their loyalty.

However, barely 72 hours into the administration of Alhaji Fintiri as acting governor of the state, crisis is brewing between the state executive of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), members of the House of Assembly and local government council chairmen.

The battle for supremacy was made manifest at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly appointed SSG, Professor Tukur, at the chambers of the Government House.

Government House protocol officers had a hectic time controlling the guests, as there was confusion over seats meant for sacked commissioners, members of the state executive of PDP, led by its chairman, Chief Joel Madaki and the state lawmakers.

The confusion delayed the swearing-in ceremony for close to one hour, as the protocol officials were left helpless, even as the PDP executive and members of the assembly continued to trade words.

The intervention of top security personnel and other government officials prevented the situation from degenerating into fiscuffs.

Council chairmen, who were also put in one obscure corner at the ceremony, equally complained that they were not accorded their rightful positions.

They were, however, accused of being loyal to the administration of Nyako, adding that “they do not deserve any recognition.”

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Adamawa acting gov sacks cabinet