Speculations have emerged that the first commissioner nominees’ list forwarded by the Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, to the state assembly was empty.
Naija News gathered that the first list, which was sent to the state assembly on July 27, remained unveiled until Tuesday’s plenary when a second batch was brought.
The Secretary to the Yobe State Government (SSG), Alhaji Baba Malam Wali, reportedly forwarded a letter containing a list to the Yobe State Assembly for screening and confirmation on July 27, but the house failed to unveil the names to the public.
While the Yobe State Speaker, Hon. Buba Chiroma-Mashio, and the state government have denied the first list had the names of four nominee commissioners, some lawmakers in the assembly have asserted that the first list was blank and it was sent to meet the constitutional deadline of 60 days.
Speaking with the Daily Trust, a lawmaker, who pleaded anonymity, claimed that the letter earlier sent to them through the Secretary to the State Government contained no names.
The source said it was unrealistic for the assembly to have held onto the commissioner nominees list for more than two weeks without screening or making it public if, indeed, it was true that the SSG submitted it.
“Although I have been working here for over a decade, we heard that the SSG submitted the list of nominees on that day, but some of my colleagues were asking who made the list but could not get an answer.
“Some people said nothing was contained in the list; it was just a blank paper sent to the house by the state governor so that people could say they had met the deadline to form an executive council,” the source added.
However, while speaking to pressmen after Tuesday’s plenary, the Speaker noted that the first list was not blank. He maintained that the first batch of names submitted to the assembly contained four names, adding that the delay in the confirmation process was due to the assembly’s commitment to ensuring that all nominees were confirmed at once.
He explained that “We received four names from the first batch of the commissioner nominees last time. After receiving the second batch, we merged them for screening to follow the serial. That is why you could see that they are separated; first and second batches.
“In short, Yobe State assembly received the first batch of the four nominees from the executive on 27 July and the second batch last week, making them 20 in number.
‘‘The reason why I did not disclose the list is that we might not go for their screening, and people would be asking why we did not call them (nominees) for screening. Since we had a first batch list, we just waited for His Excellency to send the second list to us.”
He said the nominees will be screened in batches starting from the 16th, 17th, and 18th of August.
Corroborating the Speaker’s position, the Director General of Press and Media Affairs to Governor Buni, Mallam Mamman Muhammad, also noted that the state government had submitted the list of commissioner nominees to the assembly for screening and confirmation on 27 July 2023 to beat the 60-day constitutional deadline.
Muhammad, who admitted the delay in the submission of the second list, explained that the creation of new ministries was in the pipeline.
He said, ‘‘The state government wants to expand ministries which is why the second batch list was delayed. The state assembly was given a good time to screen the nominees before the second batch. So, I think the house will answer this question.
‘‘The first list was given to them within the timeframe for screening while the second batch came thereafter, so they are the ones that you will ask why they did not start screening till they received the second batch.’’
Meanwhile, Naija News understands that the second list was submitted to the state assembly on Tuesday.
The second list contained 20 nominees, 18 men and two women drawn from all the local government areas of the state. Together with the first list makes 24 in total.
Those on the list are Hon. Mohammed Garba Gagiyo – Bade, Engr. Usman Ahmed – Bursari; Hon. Musa Mustapha – Damaturu; Ya Jalo Badama – Damaturu ; Prof. Bello Kawuwa – Fika; Alhaji Ibrahim Jajere – Fune; Ali Goniri – Gujba; Aji Yerima Bularafa – Gulani; Alhaji Mohammed Abatcha – Gulani; Dr. Mairo Amshi – Jakusko; Abdullahi Bego – Jakusko; Hon Sidi Yakubu Karasuwa – Karasuwa and Barma Shettima – Machina.
Others are: Engr. Umar Wakili Duddaye – Nangere; Dr. Muhammad Sani Idriss – Nguru; Bar. Sale Samanja – Potiskum ; Yusuf Umar Potiskum – Potiskum; Arch. Ahmed Buba Abba Kyari – Tarmuwa; Dr. Mohammed Lawan Gana – Yusufari and Hon. Kaigama Umar – Yunusar.
The post Controversy Trails Gov Mai Buni’s Commissioner Nominees’ List appeared first on Naija News.