By Ibrahim Muhammad
Zamfara State Chamber Of Commerce, Industry, Mines And Agriculture (ZACCIMA) has been factionalized following State Government intervention to tackle alleged over stay of the chamber’s leadership.
Briefing newsmen in Gusau the state capital of Zamfara, 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 before he was suddenly asked to stop announcing the results by the Director General of Coalition of Northern States Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines And Agriculture (CONSCCIMA), Ahmed Usman who 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”.
