Plateau NASS Member insists on LG Council name change.

The Nigerian House of Representatives Thursday rejected the bill seeking to rename Plateau’s Barikin Ladi Local Government to Gwol its “aboriginal and ancestral” name.

The vote was taken at the special session of the House on the Report of the Constitution Review Committee of the 8th Assembly.

The Gwol name change bill was merged with similar bills on change or correction of names of some local governments.

The voting on the floor of the House went 220 in favour of the bill, 57 against and 8 abstained votes.
By receiving 220 votes out of the 360 members in the House, the bill fell to meet the 2/3rd constitutionally required votes by 20.

The failure of the bill puts an end to the natives’ long-time dream of having a constitutional recognition for a native name for the local council.

The move initiated by the Barking Ladi/Riyom constituency reps member, Istifanus Gyang was partly to stop alleged Hausa-Fulani domination in the locality.

The place was reportedly nicknamed “Barkin Ladi” after a visiting Hausa woman who reportedly became famous for prostitution in the area.
The name is partly blamed for the growing population of Muslim Hausa-Fulani in the area which has been reportedly poses social and political threats to the natives.

The failure of the bill at the National Assembly therefore is likely a hope renewer for the “settler” Hausa Fulani in the locality.

Sponsor of the bill is however undeterred in moving for its actualization later on.

“We see this as a temporary set back but we have started a journey and one day, this quest will become a reality.

“I express my profound gratitude to the 220 members as well as the Senate that supported and voted for the Bill.

“They have given us the impetus to bring back the bill at the next constitution review exercise,” he said in a mailed statement.