Governor's wife orders sack of female councillor

Have you ever wondered what the office of the First Lady does in a state? Wonder no more! Wife of Katsina State governor, Hajiya Fatima Ibrahim Shema, has ordered the sack of the supervisory councillor for water and sanitation in Matazu local government area of the state, Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim.

Mrs Shema reportedly gave the directive to sack Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim, the only female councillor at the Matazu local government transition management committee through a letter of "termination of appointment" dated 27th December, 2012.

Part of the letter which was signed by Bala Lawal Yaro, a staff officer at Matazu local government reads "I am directed by the Office of Her Excellency, Hajiya Dr Fatima Ibrahim Shehu Shema, to issue you this letter of termination in view of your unkindly like misconduct and behaviour."

The sacked councillor and the wife of Matazu local government council transition management committee chairman had recently engaged each other in a free-for-all scuffle at the council secretariat.

It was gathered that squabble ensued between the duo when the chairman's wife allegedly slapped the sacked councillor at the office of the LG's director of administration during a meeting to resolve some grievances.

Although they dare not speak up, some local government staff in the state who spoke to newsmen on the condition of anonymity faulted the councilor's sack insisting that there was procedural error since the directive emanated from the first lady.

 However, the chief press secretary to the first lady, Mallam Abdulazeez laid their speculations to rest and confirmed that the directive to sack the councillor emanated from the first lady saying "yes the letter emanated from the first lady's office."