Sokoto Gov Sacks 14 Monarchs, Dismisses 23 Perm Secs, Others

Assuming duty on Tuesday, May 30, Sokoto State‘s newly sworn-in Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, sacked no fewer than fourteen traditional rulers recently appointed by his predecessor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

The affected monarchs include 13 district heads, and the newly appointed Magajin Garin Sokoto, Alhaji Sama’ila Abdulkadir Mujeli, Naija News understands.

The district heads include Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar III (Ciroman Sokoto) and District Head of Sokoto North LGA; Alhaji Buhari Dahiru Tambuwal, Sarkin Tambuwal; Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki Muhammadu Maccido (Barayan Zaki) and District Head of Sokoto South LGA: Alhaji Ibrahim Bello Dansarki, Marafan Tangaza; and Alhaji Bello Sani Torankawa, Sarkin Yamman Torankawa.

Others are Alhaji Sule Ajiya Kalambaina, Sarkin Gabas Kalambaina; Alhaji Atiku Bello Ayama, Bunun Gongono; Abubakar Buhari Salame, Sarkin Arewan Salame; Alhaji Aminu Aliyu Ibrahim, Sarkin Yamman Balle; Malam Isah Aliyu Rarah, Sarkin Gabas Rarah; the Sarkin Kudun Yar’tsakkuwa, Tukur Sansani; and Alhaji Mukhtar Muhammad Tukur Ambarura, Sarkin Gabas Ambarura.

A transition committee member who spoke to Daily Trust on the development claimed that the former governor’s appointment of the traditional rulers was not in their people’s best interest.

He said their appointment was a kind of appreciation because of the role they allegedly played for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the last general elections in the state.

It was gathered that some of the districts had been without district heads for years. The Balle District Head was said to have been killed about six years ago by bandits, while the Tambuwal district, the hometown of the former governor, had been without a head since the death of the last one about four years ago.

Naija News learnt that Governor Aliyu also nullified the appointments of 23 permanent secretaries and 15 directors general made by his predecessor.

Speaking to journalists earlier at the government house, the governor’s spokesman, Abubakar Bawa, said the appointments of the suspended monarchs would be reviewed in due course in line with the public’s interest.

Another major change the newly sworn-in governor made was the nullification of the recent renaming of some academic institutions after some prominent people by his predecessor. The state House of Assembly had earlier rejected the changes because its approval was not sought.

The affected institutions are Sokoto State University which was renamed Sheikh Abdullahi Fodiyo University; the newly created Sokoto State University of Education, which was named after the late President Shehu Shagari and the Shehu Shagari College of Education, which was renamed Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki College of Education.

Others are the Sokoto State University Teaching Hospital which was named after Sultan Muhammadu Abubakar Sa’ad while the College of Agriculture, Wurno, and College of Legal and Islamic Studies, Wamakko, were renamed Shehu Malami and Halliru Binji, respectively, among others.

The governor also nullified appointments to the governing boards of the colleges.

Bawa also announced the dissolution of the local government areas’ sole administrators appointed by Tambuwal, directing them to hand over to the directors of administration with immediate effect.

The governor also dissolved all governing boards of parastatals other than statutory boards and revoked all land allocations made by his predecessor.

He suspended the recent auction of government assets which he said would be revisited.

Meanwhile, the governor has appointed Ibrahim Umar Arkillah as the acting Director General of Sokoto State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, Naija News understands.