Bauchi Governor defends Sacking of LGC Caretaker Chairmen, says I acted constitutionally

From Ahmad Mohammed, Bauchi

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir has explained that he has constitutional backing to sacked the 20 local government councils Caretaker Committee Chairmen.
The Governor who reacted through his Spokesperson, Ladan Salihu yesterday in Bauchi stated that, “I acted in line with established protocols of State Administration. I have the prerogative to dissolve the Caretaker Councils and Chairmen. They were appointed by a Governor, another Governor has exited them. Where the Rights of One Governor ended, the rights of another begins”.
Salihu said “The Constitution and relevant Laws are Clear on this. I wonder why they are complaining. I was appointed Director-General of FRCN by President Goodluck Jonathan and I was exited by President Muhammadu Buhari with 2 years remaining on my tenure Tenure. I didn’t take President Buhari to Court because he exercised his prerogative”.
It will be recalled that the State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir has been dragged before a Bauchi High Court by Caretaker Committee Chairmen of the 20 Local Government Areas of the State for allegedly disengaging them before the expiration of their tenure.
While speaking to Journalists on Tuesday on behalf of others, the former Caretaker Chairman of Bauchi local Government, Alhaji Chindo Abdu claimed that they were appointed by the former Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar to serve for period of nine months each that would lapse in September this year.
He said that as soon as he was sworn in, Governor Bala Mohammed issued a statement directing all political appointees to vacate their offices without allegedly taking into cognizance the law that appointed them which he alleged stilulated that they were to serve for nine months.
According to him, after reading the Governor’s press statement on the disengagement of political office holders, they wrote a letter to him through the office of the Secretary to the State Government enlightening him that ‘by law’, their tenure would lapse in September, 2019 but he still allegedly withheld their salaries and allowances.
“Base on the appointment letters we have, we are to stay there for nine months. And that nine months is going to expire in September. Last month (June) has ended, there was no salary and entitlements for us which we deserve. Base on that, we have approached Bauchi State High Court to demand for our rights”, he said.
Chindo Abdul said that they are asking the court to order their reinstatement and payment of their salaries arrears and other outstanding allowances allegedly withheld by the Governor.