The clock is ticking very fast for embattled Governor of Adamawa
State, Murtala Nyako and his deputy, Bala Ngilari, as the seven-man
panel ordered by the House of Assembly to investigate allegations of
gross misconduct leveled against them is inaugurated today. The panel
has seven days to complete its assignment.
The Assembly had last week directed the acting Chief Judge, Justice Ambrose Mammadi, to raise the panel in line with relevant constitutional provisions.
Although several governors had been impeached since 1999,this is the second time, a state Assembly will be seeking the sack of a governor and his deputy the same time. The first time was in 2006 when the Ekiti State Assembly removed Mr Ayo Fayose and his deputy, Mrs Biodun Olujimi.
In the Adamawa case, the governor was charged with 20 offences while his deputy faces six impeachable offences in the sack move spear-headed by 19 of the 25-member Assembly. The charges against the governor include fraudulent awards of contracts of over N8 billion through a company in which one of his wives is believed to have interest, alleged corrupt siphoning of N300 million public funds through a company for the construction of Mubi by-pass road without mobilising to site or any construction carried out after collecting the money.
Gross violation of oath of office by outrageous patronage and dominance of family and friends in the discharge of government business, “gross violation of Section 120 of the Constitution and gross misappropriation and diversion of Internally Generated Revenue for personal use to the detriment of the people of Adamawa State”.
However, the Adamawa lawmakers have given the panel one week within which to conclude its work, during which Nyako would be required to appear personally or send a representative to defend him.
Daily Sun gathered that the investigative panel, when inaugurated today, will sit daily, from 9am to 5pm, in order to meet the deadline given by the House of Assembly.
Feelers indicate that if the panel concludes its sitting this week, it would submit its report to the assembly by next Monday or Tuesday after which the Assembly would sit next Friday to effect the governor’s removal.
Last Friday, Justice Mammadi, complied with the directive when he named members of the investigative panel. According to the Registrar of the state’s High Court, Abubakar Babayola, the panel will be chaired by Buba Kaigama while Mrs Laraba Hassan, Saadu Lawan, Gapsiso Eston, Joshua Abu, Njida Kito and Eston Binano will serve as members.
The move to impeach the governor started some three weeks ago, when the Assembly after receiving briefs from Nyako’s commissioners, passed a resolution to sack him. The impeachment move was sequel to a motion on Constitutional Matter raised by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Laori Kwamoti (PDP-Numan) on the floor of the House backed with a document signed by 19 of the 25 members. The lawmaker had cited Section 188 of the Constitution as the basis for his motion.
As soon as Kwamoti was done, Malam Usman Abdulkareem (PDP- Nasarawo/Binyeri) also moved for the impeachment of Ngilari, stating that he had a petition signed by eight lawmakers alleging gross misconduct against the deputy governor .
Consequently, the Speaker, Alhaji Umaru Ahmadu Fintiri, directed the Clerk to serve separate notices to the affected personalities and all the 25 members of the state Assembly. Very few persons took the House serious when they declared their intention to impeach Nyako and Ngilari. To smoothen the rough edges between Nyako and the House, the governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso tried to mediate but his efforts failed.
Also, attempts to immediately serve the embattled governor and his deputy the impeachment notice in person were not successful, prompting the House to pass a resolution to serve them through the newspapers.
In the ensuing drama,the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) freezed the account of the state. Three officials of the state, including the Accountant-General were arrested by the anti-graft agency.
Although there have been insinuation in certain quarters that the impeachment move may have been instigated by the Presidency to get back at Nyako for dumping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress(APC), alongside four other PDP governors, the former Chief of Naval Staff last week exonerated President Goodluck Jonathan from his travails.
Meanwhile, there is speculation that the deputy governor may survive the impeachment hammer and therefore take over as governor.
Sources revealed that to avoid a situation where the state would be required to go for a fresh governorship election in three months, the deputy governor may be spared.
The Constitution states that in the event of the impeachment of the governor and his deputy, the Speaker of the House of Assembly would take over in acting capacity for three months, with which another governorship election would be organised.
Sources revealed that the state lawmakers, who are predominantly PDP, as the deputy governor, may only remove Nyako, as the panel may find the deputy governor not guilty of the allegations, since he’s not the person calling the shot in the state.
In the event of Nyako’s removal, the deputy governor would take over as governor till next year’s general elections.
The Assembly had last week directed the acting Chief Judge, Justice Ambrose Mammadi, to raise the panel in line with relevant constitutional provisions.
Although several governors had been impeached since 1999,this is the second time, a state Assembly will be seeking the sack of a governor and his deputy the same time. The first time was in 2006 when the Ekiti State Assembly removed Mr Ayo Fayose and his deputy, Mrs Biodun Olujimi.
In the Adamawa case, the governor was charged with 20 offences while his deputy faces six impeachable offences in the sack move spear-headed by 19 of the 25-member Assembly. The charges against the governor include fraudulent awards of contracts of over N8 billion through a company in which one of his wives is believed to have interest, alleged corrupt siphoning of N300 million public funds through a company for the construction of Mubi by-pass road without mobilising to site or any construction carried out after collecting the money.
Gross violation of oath of office by outrageous patronage and dominance of family and friends in the discharge of government business, “gross violation of Section 120 of the Constitution and gross misappropriation and diversion of Internally Generated Revenue for personal use to the detriment of the people of Adamawa State”.
However, the Adamawa lawmakers have given the panel one week within which to conclude its work, during which Nyako would be required to appear personally or send a representative to defend him.
Daily Sun gathered that the investigative panel, when inaugurated today, will sit daily, from 9am to 5pm, in order to meet the deadline given by the House of Assembly.
Feelers indicate that if the panel concludes its sitting this week, it would submit its report to the assembly by next Monday or Tuesday after which the Assembly would sit next Friday to effect the governor’s removal.
Last Friday, Justice Mammadi, complied with the directive when he named members of the investigative panel. According to the Registrar of the state’s High Court, Abubakar Babayola, the panel will be chaired by Buba Kaigama while Mrs Laraba Hassan, Saadu Lawan, Gapsiso Eston, Joshua Abu, Njida Kito and Eston Binano will serve as members.
The move to impeach the governor started some three weeks ago, when the Assembly after receiving briefs from Nyako’s commissioners, passed a resolution to sack him. The impeachment move was sequel to a motion on Constitutional Matter raised by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Laori Kwamoti (PDP-Numan) on the floor of the House backed with a document signed by 19 of the 25 members. The lawmaker had cited Section 188 of the Constitution as the basis for his motion.
As soon as Kwamoti was done, Malam Usman Abdulkareem (PDP- Nasarawo/Binyeri) also moved for the impeachment of Ngilari, stating that he had a petition signed by eight lawmakers alleging gross misconduct against the deputy governor .
Consequently, the Speaker, Alhaji Umaru Ahmadu Fintiri, directed the Clerk to serve separate notices to the affected personalities and all the 25 members of the state Assembly. Very few persons took the House serious when they declared their intention to impeach Nyako and Ngilari. To smoothen the rough edges between Nyako and the House, the governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso tried to mediate but his efforts failed.
Also, attempts to immediately serve the embattled governor and his deputy the impeachment notice in person were not successful, prompting the House to pass a resolution to serve them through the newspapers.
In the ensuing drama,the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) freezed the account of the state. Three officials of the state, including the Accountant-General were arrested by the anti-graft agency.
Although there have been insinuation in certain quarters that the impeachment move may have been instigated by the Presidency to get back at Nyako for dumping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress(APC), alongside four other PDP governors, the former Chief of Naval Staff last week exonerated President Goodluck Jonathan from his travails.
Meanwhile, there is speculation that the deputy governor may survive the impeachment hammer and therefore take over as governor.
Sources revealed that to avoid a situation where the state would be required to go for a fresh governorship election in three months, the deputy governor may be spared.
The Constitution states that in the event of the impeachment of the governor and his deputy, the Speaker of the House of Assembly would take over in acting capacity for three months, with which another governorship election would be organised.
Sources revealed that the state lawmakers, who are predominantly PDP, as the deputy governor, may only remove Nyako, as the panel may find the deputy governor not guilty of the allegations, since he’s not the person calling the shot in the state.
In the event of Nyako’s removal, the deputy governor would take over as governor till next year’s general elections.
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Gov Nyako may go next week |
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