Court stops el-Rufa’i from ejecting district heads
A Kaduna State High Court sitting in Zaria has granted an order stopping the Sole Administrators of ten local government councils in Kaduna State from ejecting district heads from their houses or recovering their official cars and official documents pending the determination of a suit before it. Justice M. M. Liman of the High Court, Zaria division granted the order last Friday.
It will be recalled that the Kaduna State Ministry of Local Government had on September 20, 2017 sent a letter signed by Barrister Hassan Lawal, Director of Boundary and Chieftaincy Matters, to 22 local government sole administrators. The letter was titled, ‘Re: Structuring of District and Village Administration in Kaduna State.” it stated, “Following the recent restructuring of district and village administration in the state, I am directed to request you to kindly direct all the District Heads to comply with the following: i] to return the official vehicles in their possession to the respective local governments immediately ii] to vacate official residence and hand over the keys to the sole administrator immediately iii] to handover all official documents and other government properties under their custody to the retained district scribes iv] all sole administrators are to forward the number of houses for the district heads in their respective local governments together with inventory to the office of the Honourable Commissioner on or before 27th September 2017 v] all handover to be completed on or before Wednesday 27th September 2017.”
A case, no KDH/Z/144/2017 was brought before the High Court by three plaintiffs. They are Alhaji Lawal Iro, Magajin Malam Zazzau Hakimin Samaru; Alhaji Falalu Umaru, Mahami Zazzau Hakimin Dutsen Abba and Alhaji Isa Sulaiman, Danmalikin Zazzau suit Hakimin Nasarawan Doya on behalf of themselves and the other affected district heads. They sued the Kaduna State governor, attorney general, commissioner for local government affairs, Kaduna State Council of Emirs and Chiefs, Zazzau Emirate Council and State House of Assembly.
The interim order of the court restrained the defendants and their agents, particularly the 22 sole administrators from giving effect to the Ministry of Local Government’s letter pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice. The case was fixed for hearing on October 4, this year.