Armed soldiers have been deployed in strategic parts of Nasarawa State following protests against alleged plot by members of the state House of Assembly to impeach Governor Tanko Al-Makura.
Saturday PUNCH correspondent, who went round Lafia, the state capital, saw armed military personnel stationed at the Assembly Complex, the Government House and other strategic places.
This is happening as the governor said he has yet to receive any impeachment notice from the House of Assembly.
The lawmakers, who began the process to remove the governor on Monday, published a notice of impeachment in some national newspapers on Wednesday when they could not access the governor to serve him the impeachment notice
Al-Makura, who spoke through his Special Assistance on Public Affairs, Abdullamid Kwara, said the governor had yet to receive the impeachment notice.
To the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Philip Shekwo, the manner in which the impeachment notice was served was not constitutional.
Shekwo said, “As far as the party is concerned, we have not received any impeachment notice as was claimed by the lawmakers. They have alternative means of serving the notice, but it is not how it is stated in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
However, the state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Yunna Iliya, told Saturday PUNCH that he could not comment on the issue until after two weeks because the constitution stipulated that if the governor did not respond within two weeks, the law would take its course.
However, a member of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Othman Bala representing Keffi-East called on his colleagues to withdraw the impeachment notice.
Bala, who spoke to our correspondent in Lafia, said, “Looking at the state of insecurity confronting the country, the legislators should put the interest of the people above any other thing.
“The lawmakers love the state and will do everything their power to ensure peace. It is on the basis of this that I appeal to my colleagues to sheathe their swords in order to move the state forward.
“No one is perfect; we should forgive some of the lapses noticed with the governor with the belief that he would learn from them in the overall interest of the state.”
Meanwhile, the Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on Friday denied that people were killed during the clash between the Eggon and Gwandara people on Thursday.
Idris, who briefed journalists shortly after a joint security committee meeting comprising the police, army, the State Security Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps in Lafia, however, said 20 persons were arrested during the clash.
Stressing that one house and vehicle were vandalised during the violence, he disclosed that a retired police officer was arrested in connection with the crisis.
The police commissioner said, “Two people were injured and one of them sustained laceration in his stomach. He was taken to Agu private hospital by the military and discharged immediately after treatment.
“The second injured person was taken to M and D Clinic and also treated.”
Normalcy has, however, started returning to Lafia, Mararaba and Keffi, the town hit by protests on Wednesday and Thursday.
Business activities have also resumed in the towns as people were seen going about their activities
No comments:
Post a Comment
To get the world and your friends informed.. Feel free to share every news you read on this site on any web or on any social network by clicking on the SHARE BUTTON ABOVE or share it by any other means but ensure to always share with the site link(web address) for reference and to avoid being SUED for intellectual theft.......post a comment after reading as well..,...we are here to serve you the best
use anonymous to post a comment if necessary