House Nullifies Creation Of Village, District Areas, Calls For Investigation

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly (NSHA), has nullified the purported creation of additional villages and districts in the State with a call on the State Government to set up an investigative panel to carry out an investigation on the matter in the interest of peace.

Speaker Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, read the House resolutions on Tuesday (September 17, 2019) after Hon. Mohammed Alkali, Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs alerted the House on the purported creation of additional District Areas in the State during the matter of public interest in Lafia.

The Speaker urged the people of the State, especially communities to disregard the purported gazette in circulation for the creation of additional districts in Nasarawa State.

“First and foremost, I want to appreciate Hon. Mohammed Alkali and the entire members for your contribution on this issue.

“It is very sad that somebody will just sit in the comfort of his office to come up with this document.

“If you will come out with a law for the creation of village and district areas, who makes the law? It is the House, and why should somebody sit down and do the job of the legislator?

“I agree with your various contributions that this document is criminal and unacceptable and should be condemned.

“It is in view of this that our resolution is to that effect, that first, “The purported Gazette creating additional district and village areas in Nasarawa State stands nullified.

“Secondly, the purported gazette should be retrieved from circulation and no value should be attached to such document henceforth.

“Thirdly, the list of additional district and village areas should be forwarded to the Nasarawa State House of Assembly in line with the powers conferred on Nasarawa State House of Assembly by the 1999 Constitution as amended.

“If the Executive arm of government is desirous of creating more district areas, there should be fairness and justice in their action.

“And finally, government must constitute an investigative panel to carry out an investigation with a view to unravelling those involved in this criminal act and punitive measures should be taken against those involved,” he said.

Earlier, Hon Alkali (APC, Lafia North) while raising the issue said that the House was not aware of the purported gazette in circulation in the state.

He called for investigation in order to bring the actors and perpetrators of the said document to face the full wrath of the law.

The House unanimously supported the nullification of such document in the interest of peace.

It was alleged that the gazetted document for the creation of additional Districts and village areas in Nasarawa State was signed into law May, 2019.