Kaduna Assembly rejects commissioner nominee over social media criticisms

The Kaduna State House of Assembly on Thursday rejected the Commissioner nominee for Agriculture, Alhaji Aliyu Jaafaru, sent to the assembly by Gov Nasir El-Rufai.

The nominee, who appeared before the assembly for screening was however, rejected by the lawmakers due to his alleged criticism of the El-Rufai administration.

The Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Shagali, who presided over the plenary, said the rejection was as a result of his criticism against the present government on his social media handles since 2017.

Shagali said Jafaaru had been criticising one of the best policies of the present administration on education since 2017, hence the issue of disengagement of unqualified teachers in the state.

While quoting some of his posts, the speaker said “in your face book account, you said there was nothing like making Kaduna State great again.

“It is a deceptive clinch used by politicians to deceive the masses; we will make Kaduna great at the appropriate time.

“It is a responsibility for those who are truly sincere not for those who are inherently sarcastic.

“You also said El-Rufai must learn to tackle issues with human face, you also said you are an advocate of change that goes to the root cause, not only the symptoms.

“You also said in the same post, stop comparing me with El-Rufai who thinks he is more intelligent than intelligence itself.

“You however, said you are a humble human being that believes that all that glitter is not gold hence there is nothing authoritarian in insisting on the truth and never speak the truth.

“I detest insincerity as there are better ways of genuinely solving problems.”

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Briefing journalists shortly after the plenary, the Chairman, Assembly Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Alhaji Tanimu Musa, said the rejection of the governor’s nominee was as a result of his criticism of the present administration.

He said: “The evil that men do live even after them, Jaafaru has been a critic of this administration on social media.

“He has been criticizing the government, so why did he want to work with the government you have been criticizing,” Musa said.

Other nominees screened include, Mr. Thomas Gyang – Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Alhaji Hassan Mahmud – Commissioner in the governor’s office for Riots, Damage, Rehabilitation and Resettlement and Alhaji Atiku Musa as Auditor General.

The House urged the auditor general to ensure that the audited account of each local government in the state was up to date.

Meanwhile, the speaker also announced that the Deputy Governor, Hajiya Hadiza Balarabe would serve as the acting commissioner for Health pending when the substantive commissioner was appointed.

(NAN)