Nasarawa Assembly to serve Al-Makura fresh impeachment notice

Nasarawa Assembly to serve Al-Makura fresh impeachment notice

THERE were strong indications, on Sunday evening, that the 20 pro-impeachment lawmakers of Nasarawa State House of Assembly still have plans to impeach the state Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, as fresh impeachable offences would be served the latter, during their plenary sitting this week.

This followed the allegations of constitutional breaches, committed by the state Chief Judge, Justice Suleiman Dikko in the composition of the seven-man probe panel, in which the House of Assembly petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) for contravening section 188(5) of the 1999 constitution and allegedly appointing two partisan politicians and public office holder on the probe panel.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the CJ was expected to vacate his office in the next couple of days, either through suspension or any other means, which the NJC might find adequate to pave way for a new CJ, who would be expected to constitute a new panel of investigation.

A source in the state Assembly informed Nigerian Tribune in Lafia, the state capital, that Al-Makura is alleged, among other things, in the new impeachment notice, to have spent over N300 million in excess of the N100 million approved by the lawmakers for Justice Ministry, for the execution of the Justice Joseph Fola Gbadeyan panel of inquiry into Alakyo killing of the security operatives and other matters connected therewith.

Investigations further revealed that as at the time of constituting the panel, over N26 million had been expended, wondering how government financed the panel to the tune of N400 million.

According another source, who does not want his name in print, the petition also include a case, whose judgment has been stalled by the CJ for close to two years since the final submission by counsels as against the stipulated three months by Constitution, citing personal interest as the motive behind the miscarriage of justice.

“The lawmakers are not going to interfere with the composition of the panel but would object any case of constitutional breach that is aimed at giving any party an undue advantage over another”, the source confided in Nigerian Tribune.

It will be recalled that a seven-man panel inaugurated by CJ over 16-count charge against Al-Makura dismissed all the allegations for lack of evidence.