Bauchi State House of Assembly has declared Education Commissioner Dr Aliyu Usman Tilde as persona non grata for allegedly disrespecting the house.
The furious Assembly has also passed a vote of no confidence on the Commissioner of Education and withdrew his confirmation.
Tilde drew the lawmakers wrath when he was he was invited to defend his ministry’s budget.
The decision to declare Tilde a persona non grata followed the adoption of a motion moved by the Chairman House Committee on Education, Babayo Mohammed, member representing Hardawa Constituency.
The member, under matters of urgent public importance at the emergency plenary on Monday in Bauchi said it was necessary for the house to act on Dr Tilde, who he described as “unfortunate and disrespectful.”
Dr Tilde was scheduled to appear before the House on Friday at 10:am but decided to come an hour later.
“While we were trying to explain ourselves to him, he interfered and enquired who we are. We told him we are legislature and another arm of government, but he kept asking who we are. The legislature is one of the three arms of government, so for him to ask us who we are, is an insult to the 9th Assembly.
“Therefore, we asked him to go when he realized we are something, he should come back for the defence, because, we have 8 days from today to end the budget defence proceedings”, the committee chairman told the House.
He said the committee, therefore, recommended that the lawmakers should pass a vote of no confidence on him and that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry be directed to continue with the budget defense.
According to him, the committee also recommended that the confirmation of Dr Aliyu Tilde as Commissioner and Member of the Bauchi State Executive Council be withdrawn.
However, Saleh Jibir representing Disina Constituency cautioned the House to be careful of whatever decision it will take so that it will not be used against the House in a court of law.
But the Speaker, Abubakar Suleiman, clarified that the House has the power to withdraw any confirmation it has granted.
The Minority Leader, Bakoji Aliyu, representing Chiroma Constituency, who described Tilde’s action as unfortunate, seconded the motion that his confirmation is withdrawn.
The Majority Leader of the House, Tijjani Aliyu, in his contribution, noted that it was the constitutional right of any state assembly to confirm any commissioner, to reject or withdraw the confirmation.
According to him, based on what the house committee on education explained, action should be taken against the commissioner.
After a brief debate on the matter, the lawmakers unanimously passed a vote of no confidence on the commissioner and directed the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry to continue with the budget defense.
They also withdrew the confirmation of Aliyu Tilde as Commissioner and Member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly issued on 17th August 2021.
The Speaker, Abubakar Sulaiman said the commissioner’s behaviour to the committee was unfortunate and not acceptable, explaining that the house unanimously agreed that a vote of no confidence should pass on the commissioner of education.
“The House also assures the good people of Bauchi State that nothing would stop the budget defence process of the Ministry, the Permanent Secretary would continue with the defence process.”
