Senator Abdullahi Adamu has been fired as the chairman of the Northern Senators Forum on Wednesday over alleged financial malpractices.
Adamu who was said to have been unable to account for part of the N70 million belonging to the forum was replaced by Senator Aliyu Wamakko.
Senator Shehu Sani gave the reason for the removal of Adamu, when speaking with journalists in Abuja.
His words: “When we resumed as senators, Sen. Ahmed Lawan tendered the sum of N70 million to the 8th Senate.
“That N70 million was monies gathered by northern senators from the 7th Senate. So, it was handed over to the 8th senators from northern Nigeria under the 8th Senate.
“I think this country is becoming a huge joke. First of all it was the rodent that drove away the President and we now have snakes consuming about N36 million, and you now have monkeys,” Sani said.
Earlier at plenary, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, announced the removal of Adamu as chairman of the caucus.
The sack is contained in a letter addressed to the Senate by Senator Dino Melay who is the spokesman of the forum, and read out by Ekweremadu.
The letter reads in part: “This is to inform the Senate that the majority signatories of this letter are members of the Northern Senators Forum.
“We have removed Sen. Abdullahi Adamu as Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum for financial mismanagement and maladministration.
“We announce his immediate replacement with Sen. Aliyu Wamakko.”
Speaking with journalists, Melaye explained that apart from financial mismanagement, there was need for a change of leadership.
He said they needed a leadership that would make the forum more vibrant.
Said he: “The organisation is becoming moribund; it is ineffective, we are not doing the things that we are supposed to do and we need to inject some vibrancy into the forum and many positions have been taken without consulting with the executive and members.”