Zamfara Assembly walks out commissioner

The Zamfara State House of Assembly on Thursday walked out the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Abdulmalik Gajam, shortly after he appeared before the lawmakers to defend the Ministry’s 2024 budget.

The Speaker, Bilyaminu Moriki, directed the Sergeant-at-Arms to walk out the commissioner from the chamber.

This followed a motion of urgent importance raised by the member representing Gummi Constituency, Bashir Aliyu, which was unanimously adopted by the House.

In the motion, Aliyu reminded the House that the commissioner had failed to honour the Assembly’s invitations in the past.

He said that the Assembly had invited Gajam to appear before it on three occasions but he refused to turn up or even dignify the lawmakers with an explanation as to why he failed to honour the invitations.

Aliyu said even though the Assembly has been working with the executive for better policies and programmes beneficial to the people of the state, the lawmakers should not condone any act of disrespect by any appointee of government.

“With this therefore, I call on members of the House to kindly support the motion and agree to send out the commissioner from the session, and he should henceforth, not come to the Assembly complex,” Aliyu said.

Contributing on the motion, the member representing Kaura Namoda South Constituency, Aminu Kasuwa-Daji, said the commissioner has been very disrespectful to Assembly and the entire people of the state.

He added that Gajam must publicly apologise to the House and the people of the state for his insolence.

Also, the member representing Maradun I Constituency, Faruk Dosara, said the House should withdraw its confirmation of the commissioner, and henceforth stop entertaining anything from his Ministry.

The motion was unanimously adopted, and the Speaker ordered that Gajam be walked out of the Assembly’s chamber.