Jigawa State House of Assembly Speaker Idris Garba has been impeached.
The former speaker was removed by 25 of the 30 members.
His impeachment was confirmed during a special sitting attended by 23 members, which was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Garba Maikudi.
Maikudi read the impeachment notice and confirmed the signature of the 25 members.
According to the impeachment notice, “the speaker is too rigid and uncompromising to go along with his colleagues in moving the activities of the House”.
He was accused of “accruing too much power to himself which necessitated us in losing confidence in him”.
Two members – Isah Idris and Musa Sule were nominated as Speakers but Idris won with 12 votes to defeat Sule who got six votes.
In his acceptance speech, Idris promised to operate an open-door policy.
He vowed not to condone hypocrisy and gossiping, even as he promised to ensure sustainable cooperation between the legislature and the government of the day.
Tag: impeached
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Jigawa speaker impeached
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Impeached ex-Governor Nyako loses bid to return
Impeached former Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, lost yesterday in his bid to return to office as the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal, seeking, among others, his reinstatement.
Nyako was impeached on July 15, 2014 by members of the state’s House of Assembly, about 10 months to the expiration of his tenure.
A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgment yesterday, upheld an earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal which declared the impeachment unconstitutional. The apex court’s panel, led by Justice Tanko Muhammad, refused to order Nyako’s reinstatement.
It held that Nyako had no valid appeal against the lower court’s judgment since the prayer he sought to be granted by the apex court had been withdrawn by his lawyer at the lower court.
Justice Dattijo Mohammed, who read the lead judgment, said Nyako’s appeal failed because the ex-governor’s lawyer compromised the case at the Court of Appeal when he withdrew the prayer for an order reinstating Nyako.
He said although a lawyer could “conduct, compromise or withdraw” his/her client’s case, there can be no ground of appeal where a litigant’s case had been compromised by his/ her lawyer.
Justice Mohammed upheld the Appeal Court’s decision ordering the payment of salaries and other entitlements accruable to Nyako for the period he was wrongly impeached.
“Because of the special facts enunciated in this appeal, that fact of compromising his case by his counsel is a cross that the appellant (Nyako) will continue to bear. So, there will never be a forum again where that issue of reinstatement would be raised again, and to that extent, that informs my dismissal of the appeal in its entirety,” Justice Mohammed said.
Other members of the Supreme Court panel, including Muhammad, Justices Clara Ogunbiyi, Mary Peter-Odili, Chima Nweze and Amiru Sanusi, agreed with Jusice Mohammed’s lead judgment.
Shortly after he was impeached, Nyako challenged the impeachment at the Federal High Court in Yola. In a judgment on May 21, 2015, Justice Balkisu Aliyu declined to hear the case on merit. She struck it out and held that her court lacked jurisdiction to hear and determine it.
Nyako appealed the decision by Justice Aliyu before the Court of Appeal in Yola.
When parties were to adopt their briefs of argument, Nyako’s lawyer withdrew the prayer for Nyako’s reinstatement.
In its judgment of February 11, 2016, a five-man panel of the Court of Appeal, Yola, led by Justice Jummai Sankey, set aside Justice Aliyu’s decision. It proceeded to determine the case on merit and voided Nyako’s impeachment.
The Court of Appeal declared Nyako’s sack as unconstitutional on the grounds that proceedings leading to the impeachment were conducted in breach of the ex-governor’s right to fair hearing.
It ordered the Adamawa State Government to pay Nyako all his accruable salaries, allowances and other entitlements for the period he was unlawfully impeached.
Meanwhile, Nyako said he accepted the outcome of the Supreme Court judgment in good faith and remained relaxed.
Nyako, in an interview with newsmen in Yola, said his major reason of going to court was to seek redress over his illegal removal.
“I am relaxe and will remain so; I always believe that the future is better,” Nyako said.
The former governor, who spoke in Hausa language thanked his supporters and well wishers for their show of support and solidarity.
“Thank you, my people of Adamawa for the show of love,” Nyako said.
Nyako said that as a renowned farmer, he would continue his farming business and continue to contribute his quota to humanity.
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Impeached Ondo deputy governor petitions EFCC against Mimiko
•Olanusi: governor ‘is a personification of corruption’
Impeached Ondo State Deputy Governor Ali Olanusi said yesterday he has written a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe allegations of corruption against Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
He urged “indigenes and patriotic Nigerians to beam a searchlight” on the activities of the governor, alleging that he had derailed.
The septuagenarian politician, who returned to his native Akoko with his associates, rejected the allegation of gross misconduct leveled against him, before he was impeached by the House of Assembly.
Reiterating his innocence, Olanusi, who is now the leader of the state All Progressives Congress (APC), alleged that Mimiko was a personification of corruption.
He told reporters in Lagos before departing home that Mimiko failed to paint him as a corrupt deputy after he rejected the governor’s plan to run Ondo State as a sole administrator.
Olanusi said the “one-day impeachment drama” against him underscored the personality of the governor as a corrupt politician.
The former deputy governor said if the anti-graft agency failed to investigate the allegations, the alleged looting would continue.
Olanusi alleged that N80 billion debts and borrowing have pushed the state into stagnation.
He urged the people, including civil servants, “to gird their loins”.
The way forward, he added, was for the people to propose a closure to the “corruption of the government” and insist on the “recovery of the stolen and looted funds”.
Olanusi added: “I urged civil servants and the people of Ondo State to help prevent further theft of our resources and step up this engagement by documenting credible reports of corruption going on in high places within the government.”
The former deputy governor noted that his warnings and advice to the governor delayed the drift, stressing that the administration regressed into a gale of forgery and falsification of financial records and documents when he stopped listening to his wise counsels.
Olanusi challenged the governor to dispute the claim of forgery and falsification of the State Oil-producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC) Appropriation Law 2014, which he said, led to the alleged squandering of N18 billion meant for frontline services and the implementation of people-oriented programmes in riverine communities.
He said the governor should clear the air on the alleged forgery and falsification of 2014 Re-Ordered Budget to cover N6.7 billion, which, he alleged, was channeled into specialised conduit-pipes.
Other allegations made by Olanusi included the alleged falsification of the House of Assembly resolution authorising the borrowing of N2.4 billion for the Wealth Creation Agency (WECA), the diversion of money meant for the Residency Card Project by the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), the manipulation of the N27 billion bond and diversion of its proceeds without the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) approval and falsification of records of the House of Assembly on his impeachment.
Olanusi added: “The more you look, the more you see tactical incursion, divorced from the machinery of an elected government that seeks to undo checks and balances created to protect the supremacy of parliament and the independence of the judiciary.”
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Why House wanted me impeached, by Chime
Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime has explained that some members of the state House of Assembly wanted him impeached because he refused to yield to their financial demands.
He said the allegation of impropriety against him was false, as the issue for which they moved against him was a loan for the development of the state.
He said: “They felt the administration was coming to an end and it is time for them to make money. They came shamelessly and said that I should give them money. They thought I was asking for the loan as a parting gift. This nonsense started when they could not get me to give them money outside their allowances.”
He was reacting to the impeachment notice he was allegedly served by the House. Just less than three weeks to its last sitting, some members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, to the chagrin of residents woke up as early as 4:00 a.m. on Monday and marched to the Assembly Complex located at the Independence Layout for the day’s legislative business. What surprised the entire people of the state was the timing of the sitting–the wee hours when the first cock crows.
The legislators who were led by the Speaker of the House, Hon. Eugene Odoh (who was later impeached) included the suspended House Leader, S.K.E. Ude Okoye, Okechukwu Nwoke, Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, Elochukwu Ugwueze, Iloabuchi Aniagu, Nze Michael, Onyeze Anichukwu, John Nwankwo, Theresa Egbo, Nkechi Omeje Ogbu, Chika Eneh, Mathias Ekweremadu, Paul Okechukwu Ogbe, Anthony Ogidi and Nelson Uduji.
The reason for sitting at an unusual hour of the day was principally to pre-empt another group of the legislators, said to be loyal to the governor that planned to sit and use the platform to dissociate themselves from the N11 billion loan saga between the House and the governor.
Governor Chime had, last year, requested the House to approve for the executive a loan of N11billion for the execution of some ongoing and new projects. The House, in November last year, approved the loan which was put to use.
Governor Chime explained that the bank which granted the loan requested some further additional endorsement from the House.
The leadership of the House capitalised on the bank’s request to get a “parting gift” from the governor. They insisted that they must be given some amount of money before they would give their approval. But the governor stood his ground, insisting that he was not going to tamper with public funds because he could not account for any money taken from it.
Angered by the governor’s refusal to yield ground, some of the members, led by the then Speaker, started some manoeuvers to arm-twist the governor into yielding to their demand. They started investigating the various ministries and parastatals of the state, particularly those that have much to do with finance.
The commissioners were summoned one after the other to be “interrogated” by members of the House.
Among those summoned was the Accountant-General of the state, Paschal Okorie who was asked to explain why the executive has refused to release monthly subventions to the House and other ministries since March. After his appearance, he was asked to submit to the House records of funds received and disbursed from April this year.
The House, during the period, also alleged a contract scam at the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ESUBEB) and asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe activities of the board. But the EFCC did not see any merit in that direction.
All these were part of the arm-twisting tactics that the governor refused to yield to which led to the build-up of Monday’s action which claimed Speaker Odo’s position.
At their early morning sitting on Monday in the absence of the Clerk of the House, they commenced the process of impeaching Governor Sullivan Chime. After forcing their way into the Assembly premises by overpowering security men, they made for the office of the Clerk of the House and broke into it and took the Mace.
Among the allegations leveled against the governor was the issue of allegedly forging the N12 billion 2012 Supplementary Budget.
They also accused the governor of allocating reserved government lands to members of his family and some individuals for erection of private houses, especially within the three-arm zone and seriously condemned the act.
The impeachment notice was signed by 14 members of the House, including the Speaker. The Clerk of the House; Christopher Chukwurah was directed to serve the notice on the governor immediately.
At the sitting, the anti-Chime legislators suspended the Deputy Speaker, Chime Oji, nephew of the governor, who was recently elected to represent Enugu North/South Federal Constituency, Hon. Emeka Ogbuabor and Deputy House Leader, John Kevin Ukwuta for alleged anti-House activities.
The Speaker and the 13 members arrived at the House at 4:00 a.m. but were able to enter the legislative chamber at 6:28 a.m. and held the sitting after fierce altercation with the police.
The lawmakers had complained that the governor was using some members of the House to disrupt its activities because they refused to approve the N11 billion loan requested by the governor.
Immediately after their sitting which lasted for 30 minutes, another group of eight legislators; led by the Deputy Speaker, Chime Oji, including the Deputy Governor-elect, Hon. Cecilia Ezeilo walked into the chamber with another mace and conducted another sitting. Another member, Joseph Agbo Ugwumba who represents Enugu East Rural, later joined them.
After a short prayer, Hon. John Kevin Ukwuta moved a motion to the effect that Hon. Johnbull Nwagu who was suspended by the House be recalled. The motion was seconded by Hon. Chinedu Nwamba.
The pro-Chime lawmakers, however, lifted the suspension slammed on Nwagu for misconduct and invited him to join the group bringing their number to nine.
Ukwuta, thereafter, moved another motion calling for the suspension of the Speaker, Eugene Odoh and seven other members in his group, who included Anichukwu Nwankwo, Okechukwu Nwoke, Paul Ogbe, Nze Michael Onyeze, Theresa Egbo, Chika Eneh and S.K.E. Udo-Okoye. The motion was approved by the nine members.
The principal officers among the suspended members were also stripped of their positions and benefits.
Ukwuta further moved for the nomination of other colleagues to fill the vacancies created by the suspension. He nominated Chinedu Nwamba, representing Nsukka East State Constituency to be sworn in as Speaker of the House.
The motion was approved by other members and Chinedu Nwamba was sworn in as Speaker by the Clerk of the House, Dr. Chukwurah, who was present throughout the nearly one hour sitting.
Nwamba thanked his colleagues for the confidence reposed in him to preside over the affairs of the House as Speaker. He directed the Clerk of the House to inform the governor of the decision of the House.
The group also elected Donatus Uzoagbado, Oji River Constituency as Leader of the House and Hon. Emeka Ogbuabo as Chief Whip of the House to replace the suspended principal officers.
Ukwuta informed the lawmakers of the letter written by the State Attorney-General, Anthony Ani, informing the lawmakers that they had no powers to investigate the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ESUBEB), saying the freezing of the account of the board was a legislative recklessness.
He said the members of the House should be seen as lawmakers and not law-breakers. He therefore moved a motion that the freezing of the account of the ESUBEB was erroneously done and should be lifted immediately.
Hon. Emeka Ogbuabo seconded the motion, saying the House erred by freezing the account of the board, stressing that the petition against the chairman of the board was not properly handled.
They subsequently lifted the order freezing the account of the board and directed that the account be immediately de-frozen, while the board was asked to continue dealing with the chairman of ESUBEB.
At 7:50 a.m., the House adjourned sine die and the factional Speaker, Hon. Nwamba directed the police officer in charge of the House security to ensure that nobody was allowed into the Assembly till further notice.
Reacting to the said impeachment notice by the suspended Speaker’s group Governor Chime said: “These are just people, characters who are frustrated for not getting what they bargained for. I know what they are doing will not see the light of the day but I want my defence to see the light of the day.”
The governor, who appeared unruffled by the unfortunate development said in the first place they are not up to two thirds majority and the timing was not in their favour.
He asked: “Please who are they investigating? Is it me or Gburugburu who is coming in as the governor in a few days time?”
Chime dismissed the N12 billion supplementary budgets alleged to have been forged by him in 2012 and displayed the signed and published document.
“All they want to create is the impression that I have been milking this state dry,” he said, adding, “and the issue of the said forged supplementary budget happened when I was ‘dead’. When you people (press) reported that I was dead. I am hearing this allegation of forgery for the first time today.”
On the issue of the N11billion loan, Chime explained that the loan was already in use based on the approval by the House in November last year. Displaying the resolution of the House dated November 18, 2014, the governor said: “This is the resolution approving the loan by the House of Assembly.”
The governor further said: “They felt the administration was coming to an end and it is time for them to make money. They came shamelessly and said that I should give them money. They thought I was asking for the loan as a parting gift. This nonsense started when they could not get me to give them money outside their allowances.
“I won’t give them any money. It is public money. I can’t account for it. And I have no regrets for what I am doing.”
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‘Kwakwanso must not be impeached’
A socio-political group, the Southsouth Mandate, has warned against using the House of Assembly to impeach Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as published in one of the national newspapers.
The group noted that the government at the federal level must not be reduced to an instrument of vindictiveness to hunt down perceived political opponents, as experienced in Adamawa and the failed attempt in Nasarawa State.
A statement by the group’s National Coordinator Ikonomwan Francis, condemned the use of state resources to ‘purchase’ impeachment.
It said: “The drafters of the Nigerian constitution, who infused the impeachment clause as a check in the democratic process, never envisaged this illegal invasion in the democratic milieu to thwart the people’s choice.”
“This impeachment garment must be torn and never to be worn again by anti-democratic elements masquerading as leaders”.
“Kano State governor has done well, judging from his performance. He has touched lives and improved the socio-economic well being of the people”, Ikonomwan said.
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Shehu Adamu: Why we impeached Aminu Maigari
The chairman, finance committee of the Nigeria Football federation (NFF), Shehu Adamu who moved the motion for the impeachment of NFF president, Aminu Maigari, spoke with SL10 on why the NFF boss was impeached.
Shehu Adamu also spoke on Keshi’s future.
What made you move a motion for the impeachment of Aminu Maigari as president?
Key among the issues is financial misappropriation and boycotting of administrative protocol in taking decisions which runs contrary to the NFF statues. The need for us to enforce respect for protocols also played a part.
How many charges exactly because the ones you mention are too few to warrant impeachment?
I only told you the the key factors but overall there were 15-count charges against him which he couldn’t defend, and at that point I moved a motion for his impeachment.
How many members voted for his impeachment?
Eight out of 13 members and the rule on impeachment is clear: 50 percent plus one, we got that and he was asked to leave us while the meeting continued.
One member said he didn’t vote for Maigari’s impeachment that his signature was forged is that true?
Not at all, everybody whose signature you see on that paper voted for Maigari’s removal. Ahmed Kawu can’t claim he didn’t sign as he did so in front of Effiong Johnson, it is laughable for him to deny signing.
So after Maigari’s impeachment, how did the meeting go?
Very well. We did a review of the 2014 World Cup performance, we set up machinery to ensure our youth teams both male and female do well in their various assignments, starting from this week and of course we spoke on Keshi’s future.
What was the conclusion on Keshi’s future?
We have resolve to give him a new deal, so he can continue the good work he has started. Nigerians want him to continue and we are willing to grant them their wishes, we are keen on retaining Keshi and his crew.
What about his financial demands?
To that effect we have set up a three- man committee who will liase with him, bring back recommendations to us and we are hopeful we will find a common ground with him.
Any plan B in case he refuses the offer?
Like I told you, Plan A is Keshi, Plan B is is Keshi, even C, D and E and we are confident he will agree to continue as a Nigerian coach who has served this country as a player and now as a coach,I don’t think he will say no.
Thank you very much
You welcome, credit to you guys at SL10 Nigeria you are doing a good job, keep it up.
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Kogi Speaker, principal officers impeached
•Ex-Speaker: my removal illegal
•Lawal Jimoh is new Speaker
THE Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Abdullai Bello, and other principal officers were yesterday impeached.
Lawal Jimoh, who represents Okene II, was made the new Speaker.
The impeached principal officers are Deputy Speaker Emmanuel Mebije; Majority Leader Yakubu Yunusa; Chief Whip Saidu Akawu Salihu and Minority Leader Adeyemi Abidemi.
They were replaced by Atule Christopher Okoche (Deputy Speaker); Aliyu Akuh, (Majority Leader); Suleiman Babadoko, (Chief Whip) and Sunday Raishiwe Shigaba, (Minority Leader).
Seventeen of the 25 members signed the impeachment notice.
But Bello said the impeachment was illegal because only 12 members, which he said was below the majority, signed it, while 13 others were on his side.
He denied receiving an impeachment notice prior to his removal yesterday.
Bello said: “As far as I am concerned, I remain the Speaker of the Assembly, because the impeachment, which did not get the majority, cannot stand.
“For your information, the symbol of authority is still in my custody and we will resume sitting on Thursday.”
Moving the motion during an emergency meeting, Gowon Paul Haruna, who represents Dekina I, explained that most members had lost confidence in the principal officers.
He said Bello did not respond positively to the recent killings in Okene and the floods, which submerged nine local government areas in the state.
According to him, the impeached Speaker was not available when President Goodluck Jonathan and other eminent personalities visited the state.
The lawmaker alleged that when Governor Idris Wada wanted to appoint some liaison officers, Bello attended a meeting on the matter.
Haruna said the former Speaker agreed with the governor’s choices but later convened an “emergency sitting” of the Assembly, where he allegedly gave the impression that the Assembly was not aware of the governor’s choices.
This, the lawmaker said, led to the rejection of two of the liaison officers.
“The acts of misconduct and high-handedness, among others, against the Speaker and other principal officers, were brought to their notice to give them a fair hearing,” Haruna said.
According to him, the impeached principal officers rebuffed the gesture “when it borders on the affairs of the people of Kogi State”.
The impeachment motion was seconded by Shehu Idris (Lokoja II).
Jimoh (Okene II) was elected new Speaker.
The new House leadership visited Wada yesterday.
Led by Jimoh, the new principal officers assured the governor of good leadership.
He explained that the Assembly changed its leadership in the interest of the state.
Bello and Wada were in January sworn in as governor in a political drama that was later resolved in favour of Wada.