Rose Audu
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 8th Assembly Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has reacted to the suspension of his traditional title by the Bauchi Emirate Council as the Jakadan Bauchi, noting that his suspension was politically motivated and orchestrated by the state government.
TOS NEWS on Monday reported that the former speaker was stripped of his traditional title following allegations of his involvement in the Bogoro crisis.
Dogara held the title of ‘Jakadan Bauchi’ until Monday when the council announced the suspension.
Narrating the rationale behind the suspension, the emirate council said the decision was due to alleged involvement of the lawmaker in a recent crisis in Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro local government areas.
Making known the development at a press conference in Bauchi on Monday, the ‘Galadiman Bauchi’ and district head of Zungur, Sa’idu Ibrahim, said “the Emirate Council decided to suspend his title of Jakadan Bauchi until the determination of case by the court.
In a lengthy statement on Monday, Dogara explained that the Bauchi Emirate Council was yet to notify him of the sanction or inform him of any wrongdoing by him.
Dogara’s response tilted: MY TAKE ON MY PURPORTED SUSPENSION AS JAKADAN BAUCHI
On January 24, 2022, the Bauchi Emirate Council purportedly announced my suspension as Jakadan Bauchi. As of today, I am yet to be served with any letter of suspension and more tenuously, I was never informed that there was an allegation of wrong doing against me pending before the Emirate Council.
Ordinarily, I wouldn’t join issues with the Emirate Council because of the respect I have for both His Royal Highness and the Emirate Council. But because there is a ludicrous and legally inchoate criminal complaint filed against me and others by the Governor of Bauchi State and his money bag lackey who are at the centre of it all, I have decided to state my own side of the story as several well wishers and even the press have inundated me with request to respond to events of yesterday so that I am not convicted in the court of public opinion.
Firstly, on close examination, I noticed that the letter of suspension as seen on social media is not contained in the real letter head of Bauchi Emirate Council. That speaks volumes. More so, the reason for the suspension, if true, was that my “name was mentioned,” which clearly is hearsay. Bauchi Emirate is one of the oldest in the country and I doubt they would take a decision based on hearsay, especially when I am available and can be invited to appear before the Emirate council to face any allegations of wrongdoing against me. This, if true, is no doubt a violation of my constitutionally guaranteed right to fair hearing. It is additionally alleged in the letter under reference that I didn’t sympathise with the two Emirs over the unfortunate incident involving them, which is totally untrue. I therefore reproduce below the message I sent to the two Emirs in the aftermath of the incident for all to see:
“Allah ya taimaki mai Martaba,
I wish to write and extend my sympathies to you over the unfortunate incident involving your entourage while making your way from Bauchi to Bogoro earlier today. It is a huge embarrassment to all of us in my Constituency and the entire State which I totally condemn and disavow.
It is worth noting that I would have loved to personally visit to extend my apologies on behalf of my constituents but I know that such a visit would be misconstrued as was the case in the past when the gates of some palaces were shut anytime I visited as Speaker.
It is pointless to emphasise that the incident was totally avoidable as I had already requested the security agencies to obtain security guarantees from the organisers of the event failing which they should advise them to postpone the event in the interest of peace. It was therefore mindless in the first place, for anyone to have encouraged you to put yourself in harms way, especially when it was obvious that security breach was more probable than likely granted the tension generated by the recklessness of those who were supposed to show leadership.”
Thankfully, for any Pharaoh there would be a Moses and I am happy to be one of the Moses in Bauchi who will content with this Pharaoh until the reproach that has become our lot is lifted. This mission cannot be deterred or delayed by all the shenanigans of this modern Pharaoh and all his puppets. Therefore, I rejoiceth as a strong man to run this race. We must not only take back our state from these maniacs but also our traditional institutions so that our people may run to them to obtain justice in times of need as was always the case.
In respect of the event in question, for two solid days leading to the event, there were demonstrations in Tafawa Balewa town. On the eve of the event, women came out in their numbers in exercise of their constitutional rights to peacefully protest against the hosting of the event but soldiers were unconstitutionally deployed to beat up and maim the women. I am sure the Commander- in -Chief who has the prerogatives under the Constitution did not order the deployment of soldiers into Tafawa Balewa. The actions of the illegally and unconstitutionally deployed soldiers turned the peaceful protest violent on the eve of the event. The situation was not the same when soldiers had not been unconstitutionally deployed in the area as the protest then was very peaceful. Those soldiers were procured by the State Governor and his said money bag lackey who must bear the full responsibility for the break down of law and order in the area.
As a leader and elected member representing the area in the National Assembly, I had cleared my conscience by fulfilling my constitutional duty when I alerted security agencies of the undercurrents that may lead to breakdown of law and order if the event is allowed to go on without some guarantees from the organisers of the event that it would proceed peacefully. But since the State Governor and a money bag were the organisers, the spirit of mammon was let loosed, which blinded every operator.
Otherwise how could anyone have ignored the intelligence freely given by someone who has represented the area for about a decade and half? Not only that, they still ignored all the red flags of pre-event protests event after violence had ensued. How can any reasonable person turn around to put the blame of the direct consequences of the unconstitutional actions of the State Governor and a money bag who went to war with their own people in order to host an event; if not politics? No leader anywhere could have done what they did, not least in a democracy whose culture is consensus and compromise which was what I called for but which regrettably all of them crudely ignored. The million Naira question is between me who alerted the security agencies of the threats posed by the event and those who ignored all the red flags, who showed poor judgment and pathetic leadership?
I am happy to confront anyone in court over the rubbish filed against me and my brothers as criminal complaint. As a lawyer, I am yet to see a criminal complaint filed against anyone without the proof of evidence. No wonder they have been unable to serve the rubbish on anyone. Why are they so inept in concocting even a proof of evidence but so alive when it comes to lying, stealing and deploying public funds? I had always seen practice of dictators to charge political opponents with treason and unfortunately, the mini Pharaohs in Bauchi have fallen into that rap but thanks be to God, the Red Sea stands between us.
Very soon, the whole of Bauchi and indeed Zaar land shall sing ; “the horse and its rider He hath thrown into the sea!”
