The leadership tussle that engulfed the Zaar Development Association (ZDA), the umbrella body of Sayawa nation in Bauchi, Bauchi State, has now been put to rest as the Federal High Court, sitting in Bauchi has sacked the Dr Sanda Nehemiah-led faction.
The Court presided over by Justice Musa Liman ruled that the action of the faction was contrary to the provisions of the ZDA and therefore, the Caretaker Committee installed was unnecessary.
In his judgement delivered on 23rd of November, 2023, Justice Musa Liman held that the Board of Trustees of the ZDA cannot remove the elected leadership of the Association not to talk of the constitution of a Caretaker Committee to perform the function of an elected EXCO as was done by the plaintiff.
Justice Liman further held that the tenure of the EXCO led by Isuwa Galla remains effective until December 2024 when it is expected to last.
Meanwhile, reacting to the development, a circular addressed to all ZDA Branches across the country, signed by the Public Relations Officer I of the ZDA, Joseph Bulus Wachakshi, and made available to Journalists in Bauchi on Monday, described the legal victory as a victory for all Zaar nation.
According to PRO 1, “The Federal High Court sitting in Bauchi has finally sacked Dr. Sanda Nehemiah Yakubu and 8 others.”
He further stated that the Court, in a 40-page judgement, also ordered Dr Sanda Nehemiah and the 8 others to stop parading themselves as ZDA Caretaker Committee.
Joseph Bulus wrote that “The Court upheld that the Engr Isuwa Gala led Executive members are legal and the only authentic Leaders of ZDA as they were duly Elected in tandem with the rule of Law and Constitution of the Association.”
According to the circular dated 3rd December 2023, the Court took the decision in a Judgement delivered on the 23rd of November, 2023, by the presiding Judge, Justice Musa S. Liman.
The Circular informed that the claims by the Trustees that Engineer Isuwa Galla and his Executives were removed because he committed a ‘Sin’ by leading the Association in a wrong way was dismissed for lacking in merit, as it did not relate to financial misappropriation as stated in the Association’s constitution.
The Court also rejected the purported Minute of Meeting dated 8th March 2022 signed by Rev. Mike Sammako (Chairman) and co-signed by Mr Samuel Kasuwa (Secretary) with all decisions and actions taken, describing it as “illegal, nullified, void and of no effect.”
The court averred that CAMA 2020 did not support and neither justifies the purported removal of Engr Isuwa Galla and the Executives of the Association until the expiration of their tenure in December 2024.
The Court also held that it is”Loud and obvious that there were no such powers given to the Trustees and as such, their actions is set aside.”
“The act is incurably bad and the order of the Court has set it aside, it is automatically null and void without Much ado, and every proceeding which is standing on it also”, the court stated.
It further noted that; “You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand, it will definitely collapse”.
According to the judge, Dr Sanda Nehemiah and the Eight other Caretaker Committee members are “illegally occupying Space meant for the Legal Occupants.”
“They have to be ejected and I so order their ejection from the office of the 2nd Plaintiff (Engr Isuwa Galla) and his Executives”.
The case which has now been put to rest was between the ZDA Incorporated Trustees and Engineer Isuwa Galla as Plaintiffs, while on the other hand; Dr Sanda Nehemiah, James Jatau, Dr Godiya Bulus, Mrs. Suzana Yakubu, Dr. Yusuf Gambo, Mrs Halima Habila Thomas, Bro. Mako Bitrus, Alhamdu Bitrus and Timothy Gwami were the defendants in the suit with number FHC/BAU/CS/16/2022.
It would be recalled that the leadership crisis in the Zaar/Sayawa Socio-Cultural organization (ZDA) began in January 2022 during which the former Trustees pronounced the dissolution of a duly elected National Executives of the Association which created a faction led by Dr. Sanda’s Caretaker Committee.
The Isuwa Galla-led EXCO had filed a suit in the Federal High Court in Bauchi seeking Legal interpretations of the Rights and privileges of an Elected NEC and the Board of Trustees in line with the Companies and Allied Matters Act(CAMA) of the Corporate Affairs Commission.
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