Refuting news making the rounds that there are plans to expand emirate councils in the state, the Niger State Government on Thursday said it has never contemplated creating new emirates.
It said it remains a rumour as far as it was concerned that there are plans to create new emirates.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Danladi Ndayebo, told journalists at a post-State Executive Council briefing that the executive arm of government had received a motion passed by the House of Assembly asking Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu to sack all his political appointees apart from Commissioners.
According to Ndayebo: “We are equally surprised by the motion moved by a member from Agaie Local Government Area.
“We don’t have it in mind.
“We are surprised majorly because of the timing and secondly, I will like to say that it was a motion and not a law.
“I am sure you know that it is not binding on the state.
“I want you to know that, that is the beauty of democracy.
“I am sure they just wanted to get a message across, which is well taken.
“I am sure the executive arm is already in touch with them (legislators).
“If the government wanted to create new emirates, this is not the time because we had all the time in this world to do that.
“We had eight years.
“We recalled that in the run-off to the 2011 elections, there were agitation mainly from Borgu Local Government Area because it was carved out from Kwara State.”
The House of Assembly had on Tuesday stepped down a motion for the creation of new emirates in Minna, Borgu, Bida and Kontagora.
The motion was to have been moved by the House Leader, Alhaji Haruna Labaran.
Ndayebo further stated that the people who are clamouring for emirates were asked to come up with a proper write up, a petition and to defend it, but they did not do it.