* Senator Hassan Gusau Appointed New Deputy
By Ishaq Zaki
The Zamfara House of Assembly on Wednesday impeached the state deputy governor Mahadi Aliyu from office.
This followed the adoption of a motion by Majority Leader, Faruku Dosara (APC -Maradun 1) at plenary in Gusau.
The motion came shortly after the House adopted the report of Justice Haladu Tanko panel which investigated alleged cross misconduct and abuse of office against the deputy governor.
Speaker Nasiru Muazu, who presided over the sitting, directed the Clerk Saidu Anka, to conduct a voice vote on the impeachment of deputy governor Mahadi Aliyu from office.
Twenty out of the 22 lawmakers present, voted in favour of the impeachment and the deputy governor was pronounced impeached.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the House had at its sitting on Feb. 7, served the Aliyu with a Notice of Impeachment over alleged gross misconduct and abuse of office.
The state Chief Judge, Justice Kulu Aliyu, also on Feb. 14, inaugurated an investigative panel on the deputy governor following a request by the lawmakers on Feb. 10.
Meanwhile, governor Bello Matawalle has named a new deputy in the person of Alhaji Hassan Gusau, following the impeachment of the former incumbent Aliyu Gusau.
Until his appointment, Hassan was a Senator representing Zamfara Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly.
The appointment followed the impeachment of the ex-deputy governor by the state Assembly at its resumed plenary on Wednesday.
A statement by the spokesperson for the Assembly, Mustafa Kaura, said the former Deputy Governor was found guilty of all the allegations levelled against him.
Kaura said, “The House found him guilty of the offences levelled against him which were submitted earlier today in the House and subsequently read at the floor of the chamber by the Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya.
“Magarya told the plenary that the committee set up to investigate the former Deputy Governor found him guilty of all the charges levelled against him and directed his colleagues to proceed with individual voting of affirmation for the Deputy Governor to be impeached as required by the law.”
Kaura further stated, “20 out of 22 members voted in favour of the impeachment while the only PDP member of the House, Hon. Salihu Usman Zurmi, was conspicuously absent during today’s plenary.
“Having secured the required number of the votes as directed by the constitution, Speaker Magarya announced the impeachment of Barr Mahdi Aliyu Muhammad Gusau as the substantive Deputy Governor of the state.” (Additional reports from NAN). NNL.