Fresh Leadership Crisis Erupts In Zamfara Chamber Of Commerce

Fresh Leadership Crisis Erupts In Zamfara Chamber Of Commerce

By Aminu Abubakar Mayanchi Gusau 

Zamfara State Chamber Of Commerce, Industry, Mines And Agriculture (ZACCIMA) has entered in to a fresh leadership crisis following the inauguration of caretaker committee by Zamfara State Government.

The leadership tussle came shortly after the Annual General Meeting which dissolved the pioneer executives, and held election for new excos.

Briefing newsmen in Gusau on what really transpired at the AGM that dissolved the leadership and elected new ones, the Director General of the chamber, Alhaji Muhammad Lawal Tsafe, said the ZACCIMA has already conducted an election in accordance with the constitution of the chamber.

According to him, their constitution says " In any AGM the President of the chamber would be replaced by the  vice president (one), and the vice president two will become vice president one, then the seat of the vice president two and other executives would be contested by any member.

Tsafe added that, it is exactly what he has done, but shortly before giving the new leaders oath of office, he was asked to stop by the permanent secretary ministry of commerce and industry, saying that there is a message from the government.

" To our great surprise, the permanent secretary brought in another names, telling me that the state government ordered him to Inaugurate caretaker committee, and the outgoing president was given the position he left.

When contacted, the chairman caretaker committee and immediate former President, Dr. Hassan Buhari, says as far as he knows there's no faction or any leadership tussle.

He said, the chamber leadership is one and serving the same purpose in the state.

He dismissed the allegation that Zamfara state government has hijacked the affairs of ZACCIMA, saying that, the Zamfara state government had solid reason to intervene.

According to him, the state government intervention became necessary considering the fact that some officials of the chamber are mostly civil servants, while others have over stayed in the leadership.

He however said that, the appointment of the caretaker committee by the state government became necessary as the chamber was in dire need to be saved from collapsing as it could not work without leadership to lead and prepare for election.

He added that, “The representative of the national body had monitored and endorsed the appointment of the caretaker committee which would steer the affairs of the chamber for six months before conducting next

an alarming number of officials among the management of the chamber were serving civil servants and the leadership of the council had overstayed which is against the constitution of ZACCIMA.

According to him, the appointment of the caretaker committee by the state government became necessary as the chamber was in dire need to be saved from collapsing as it could not work without leadership to lead and prepare for election, adding that, “The representative of the national body had monitored and endorsed the appointment of the caretaker committee which would steer the affairs of the chamber for six months before conducting next

According to him, before the new leaders take oath of office he was  asked to stop  by the Director General of Coalition of Northern States Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines And Agriculture (CONSCCIMA), Ahmed Usman who said th upheld the conduct of the elections.

According to the Director General, the sudden stoppage of the announcement for the election’s result was aimed to pave way for irregularities brought in by the Zamfara State Ministry of Commerce through its Permanent Secretary who heralded that, the State has constituted a Caretaker Committee to handle the affairs of the council.

“To our surprise, the state government went ahead to declared the composition of the caretaker committee to be led by the immediate former state President of the chamber Dr. Hassan Buhari as against the duly conducted elections.

“ZACCIMA is not an arm of the state government, it is absolutely private sector, but manipulated by the state government which is clearly unconstitutional which we stand to fight against, as the law said with the dissolution of the leaders of the chamber, the next to steer its affairs shall be first deputy President while second deputy to step in as first deputy President”, he explained.

In a swift reaction, the Chairman caretaker committee and immediate former President, Dr. Hassan Buhari, dismissed having faction in the chamber, saying the council is still one and serving same purpose in the state.

Dr. Buhari further explained that, the Zamfara state government had solid reason to intervene for the fact that an alarming number of officials among the management of the chamber were serving civil servants and the leadership of the council had overstayed which is against the constitution of ZACCIMA.

According to him, the appointment of the caretaker committee by the state government became necessary as the chamber was in dire need to be saved from collapsing as it could not work without leadership to lead and prepare for election, adding that, “The representative of the national body had monitored and endorsed the appointment of the caretaker committee which would steer the affairs of the chamber for six months before conducting next elections”.