Katsina Lawmakers walk out of Govt House over phone ban

There was a mild drama at the Katsina State Government House,  on Wednesday, when members of the state House of Assembly who were to hold a meeting with Governor Dikko Radda staged a walk out to protest security details’ directives asking them to drop their mobile phones at the reception of the council chamber, venue of the meeting.

The lawmakers led by the speaker arrived in a coaster bus, disembarked and approached the Government House Council Chamber but were accosted at the entrance by security details who asked them to drop their phones.

After a brief altercation between the lawmakers and the security details, the legislators left the Government House, vowing to boycott the meeting.

Daily Trust learnt that it took the intervention of the Chief of Staff Government House, Alhaji Jabiru Tsauri, and the Governor’s Special Adviser on Political Matters, Alhaji Ya’u Umar Gwajo-gwajo, to pacify the members to return for the meeting.

The gathering was a Joint Meeting with the Members of the State Executive Council, State House of Assembly and Local Government Council Chairmen, where the legislators presented a supplementary budget to the governor for his assent.

The High level meeting also discuss issues relating to the Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy.

Governor Radda disclosed that he had set up a Joint Committee comprising of representatives of the State Executive and Legislative arms as well as representatives from the Local Governments to advise the state government on how best to implement the Supreme Court ruling.