Katsina lawmakers stage a walkout over phone ban at meeting with gov

There was a mild drama on Wednesday at the Katsina State Government House when the House of Assembly members protested against Governor Dikko Umar Radda’s order banning the use of mobile phones at the venue of a joint meeting with the governor.

The lawmakers claimed that the governor allegedly instructed the security personnel manning the entrance to the venue of the meeting to ensure that all the lawmakers submit their mobile phones before entering the Katsina Government House.

The joint meeting which was scheduled to be held at 11 am was delayed for about two hours following the protests and walkout staged by the lawmakers.

Security operatives attached to the Government House while carrying out the directive prevented the members and journalists from entering the meeting venue with their phones as ordered by the governor.

The situation prompted the lawmakers to stage a walkout at the meeting venue.

Radda had called for a joint meeting with the members of the Executive Council, State Assembly, and the 34 local government chairmen at the Council Chamber to discuss the recent Supreme Court’s verdict on Local Government autonomy and the signing of the 2024 supplementary budget.

Our correspondent who was at the venue observed that the members pleaded with security operatives to go in with their phones but this request was turned down.

The situation also degenerated into a walkout of the venue after the House of Assembly’s Speaker, Nasir Daura’s intervention fell on deaf ears.

“This is embarrassing. Even after much persuasion and pleadings, the security people still did not allow us access to the meeting venue with our phone,” one of the aggrieved lawmakers told The PUNCH.

Other lawmakers said they considered the directive and action as offensive and an infringement on their rights.

“As you can see, in anger, we had to call the speaker out of the venue to join us in the protest.

“We told him, ‘You better come out of there and meet us at the complex immediately. Luckily, the Speaker too left the building,” another lawmaker said.

However, it was not clear on whose intervention the members later went to the venue after two hours where Daura, thereafter, presented the 2024 supplementary budget to the governor for his assent.

While presenting the supplementary budget, the speaker assured Radda that the Assembly would support the policies of the government for development to thrive.

“We are here to present the 2024 supplementary budget for Katsina State as passed by the honourable House. The House of Assembly is ever ready to support your policies. Thank you,” the Daura stated.

Radda, after signing the supplementary budget into law, announced the figure of N27, 399,967, 890. and his desire to embark on a 30-day leave from official duties, saying, “I want to thank the House for the passage of the supplementary budget. You are always supportive of this government and prompt in addressing the challenges affecting the State. We thank you very much.

“The adjusted figure of the budget is an inflow sum of N27, 399,967, 890. And the total budget we have for the state including the supplementary budget is in the sum of N481, 78, 830,120 that has just been signed. I also want to seize this opportunity to inform you that I will be leaving for my vacation tomorrow, Thursday, 18 July 2024, and hope to return back to Katsina on the 18th of August, 2024.

“I transmitted power to the Deputy Governor to act as an acting governor for this period of 30 days. I have sent the letter to the State Assembly, which was approved as provided by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The acting governor, I wish you well for these 30 days while in office,” Radda stated.