Niger gov’t urged to wade into Doko throne tussle

The Niger State Government has been urged to revisit the crisis surrounding the throne of Doko in Lavin Local GovernmentArea of the state.

It would be recalled that the Etsu Dazhi of Doko, Alhaji Mohammed Gana Kpanje who was appointed into the position in 2001 was removed as the village head of Doko town in Lavun Local Government Area in 2010.

The removal, according to the Personal Assistant to Kpanje, who is also the Ajiyan Doko and a coordinator of Kpanje Support Group, Mr Sulaiman Dazhi, was sequel to a crisis of confidence in Doko town sometime in 2010 between the dethroned Etsu and prominent members of the community who forwarded a petition to the Bida Emirate Council (BEC) on what was described as the ‘misdeeds’ of Kpanje.

It was learnt that BEC constituted a committee to investigate the petition.

The committee was alleged to have taken sides as they disallowed all witnesses presented by Kpanje in addition to not being allowed to cross examine those who testified against him.

“The committee concluded its assignment and recommended the removal/dismissal of Kpanje from office - in total negation of constitutionally guaranteed right to fair hearing while statutory compliance required in law for his removal by the governor was not met; as approval of the governor was not obtained by BEC before his removal.

“We challenged the illegal removal at the court in Minna, which its judgment was also influenced by power that be. We later appealed the judgment and fortunately we won at the Appeal Court in Abuja but nothing has been said about the reinstatement of my principal by the state government,” he said.

He therefore called on the state government to look into the matter of Doko so as to give Kpanje fair hearing since the appeal court has granted all his prayers and also said everything in the palace is null and void.

Effort to get the state government’s reaction to the story was unsuccessful as all calls placed through to the Commissioner for Justice, Mainasara DanMallam did not go through.