12th March, 2014
The Kaduna State House of Assembly on Wednesday directed its Committee on Ethics and Previlleges to investigate the whereabouts of its official mace, which disappeared since September 24, 2013.
The decision followed a motion moved by Alhaji Aliyu Jigo, member representing Kakangi constituency in Birnin-Gwari Local Government, of the state.
He said the reason for moving the motion was to protect the integrity of the house.
“It has been noticed that the mace usually used for conducting the business of the house is not there, the house has been using the back-up mace to conduct its business,” he said.
According to him, the mace is the symbol of authority in the house which is generally respected by members, adding “I feel it is very wrong for any member to remove it from the house’’.
Jigo said the house should investigate the whereabouts of the mace to maintain its tradition adding, the mace had become a part of the house norms and values.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the mace was removed from the floor of the assembly during the leadership crises that rocked the House in 2013.
The crises had led to the removal of the then speaker, Alhaji Mu’azu Gangara and other principal officers.
Since then, the Assembly had to dust the mace used by the previous legislature to conduct its businesses.
After contributions from other members, the Speaker, Alhaji Usman Tahir gave the ethics committee three weeks to investigate the matter and report back to the House.