Matawalle Bars Emirs from Conferring Traditional Titles without Permission

Onuminya Innocent

Governor  Bello Matawalle of Zamfara has barred all traditional rulers in the state from conferring traditional titles without government clearance.
The directive was contained in a statement issued yesterday  by the governor’s Special Adviser on Public Enlightenment, Media and Communications, Malam Zailani Bappa.
“All Emirs, Senior District Heads and District Heads in the state are hereby directed to officially seek permission from the State Government before conferring traditional titles to anyone,” Matawalle was quoted as saying in the statement.
He said the directive became necessary to check indiscriminate awards and possible abuse of the traditional institution0.
“Henceforth, no Emir, Senior District Head, or District Head must appoint anybody into any traditional office without securing official permission and clearance from the state government.
“Compliance to this directive is now mandatory and failure to abide by it will attract serious reprimand from the state government,” he warned.
The directive followed the uproar that greeted the turbaning of terrorist kingpin Ado Aliero as Sarkin Fulani by the Emir of Birnin Yandoto  Alhaji Aliyu Marafa in Tsafe local government of the state  Governor Muhammad.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara, told journalists that though traditional rulers were given the mandate to appoint title holders, the case of Aleru was different.
“The emir ought to have written to government seeking for approval through the governor who will forward the request to State Security Council who will screen to look at the pros and cons.
“None of these were done. It is after the recommendation of the Security Council that the State Executive Council will also have to ratify the recommendation.
“But like I said, this has not  been done that is why the state government felt there was need to suspend the emir,” Dosara said.
According to him, the six-man committee investigating the suspended emir has been working and will soon submit its report.
He said that Zamfara government has no objection if communities reconcile to restore peace, “but there are limitations”.
The commissioner said that local negotiation for peace with the bandits have been going on in places like Dansadau, Kaura Namoda and Zurmi.
“The report government is getting is that there is relative peace there as farmers have gone back to farming.
“In Zurmi Local Government Area for instance, with the peace between repentant bandits and the community, the people are farming together without intimidation or fear.
” So, government has no problem with the localisation of the negotiation, and that is what is going on.
“All we are praying for is that, let this be the root cause of having lasting peace in Zamfara,” he said.