Admiral
Murtala Nyako's (rtd) days as governor of Adamawa State may be numbered
as the state’s Acting Chief Judge, Justice Ambrose Mammadi Friday finally
set up a seven-man committee to investigate the alleged gross misconduct and
misappropriation leveled against him and his deputy, Bala James Ngilari by the
state lawmakers.
Also on the
same day, Governor Nyako exonerated President Goodluck Jonathan over
speculations that the President was the brain behind the current impeachment
moves instituted by the State House of Assembly against him and Ngilari.
Nyako had
earlier obtained an injunction to stop the Assembly from going ahead with the
impeachment process against him and his deputy. But an Adamawa State High Court
presided over by the same Justice Mammadi on Thursday ruled on the substantive
suit, stating that no breach of Section 188 (1-9) of the provisions of 1999
Constitution as amended was committed by the Assembly.
The Adamawa
State House of Assembly had last week directed the acting Chief Judge to
constitute the investigative panel, but he hesitated, leaving many wondering
whether he would not implement the directives.
Justice
Mammadi said the constitution of the investigative panel yesterday was based on
the power conferred on him by the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria as amended.
A press
release signed on his behalf by the Chief Registrar, Adamawa High Court,
Abubakar M. Bayola reads: “The Hon. Acting Chief Judge Hon. Justice Ambrose D. Mammadi
by the powers vested in him under Section 185(5) of the 1999 constitution as
(amended) has approved the appointment of seven (7) Man Panel to investigate
allegations of Gross Misconduct against the Executive Governor of Adamawa
State, Admiral Murtala Nyako and the Deputy Governor of Adamawa State Mr. Bala
Ngilari
“The seven
(7) man committee will be chaired by Buba Kaimaga (Mubi Northern Zone) while
the following people are members: Hajia Laraba Hassan (Michika Northern Zone);
Njidda Kito (Song Central Zone); Joshua T. Abu (Hong Central Zone); Barrister.
Binanu R. Esthon(Guyuk Southern Zone); Alhaji Sa'ad Lawan ( Mayo-Belwa,
Southern Zone) and Mr. Esthon Gapsiso (Genye Southern Zone)
The statement added that the swearing-in date of the panel members would be communicated later.
The statement added that the swearing-in date of the panel members would be communicated later.
The Assembly
which last week directed Justice Mammadi, to constitute the investigative panel
based its submission on section 188, subsection 3 & 4 of the 1999
constitution of as amended and added that it had formed the two-third majority
required by law, “which is 20 out of 25 lawmakers in the assembly that
appended their signatures for the governor and his deputy to be investigated.”
During the
plenary session to discuss the impeachment notice, the Speaker, Fintiri called
each member one after the other publicly to ascertain whether the signatures
appended to oust Nyako and his deputy were theirs “so as dispel the allegations
that some members had withdrawn from the impeachment moves and the 20 members
including the speaker openly agreed before the public that it was their
signatures and that they were determined to continue the impeachment process.”
The Speaker
said the proceedings of the panel are expected to be held in public and shall
be conducted from of 9 a.m to 5p.m. each day for seven days.
The Speaker
also said the decision was taken because of the failure of Nyako and Ngilari to
defend themselves all the charges leveled against them by the assembly, adding
that all constitutional process at their disposal had been done.
Fintiri
explained that among other things, by law, two-third of the lawmakers had
signed that the two principal executive officers be investigated by the panel
to be constituted by the acting Chief Judge of the state.
During the
sitting, the assembly also adopted the Panel of Investigation Rules of
Procedure of the state, which should include a chairman, secretary and five
others, and should adopt ordinary rules of fair hearing.
He said the
panel may, however, at its discretion, be guided by the High Court Civil Rules
of the state and the provisions of the Evidence Act of 2009.
In a related
development, Governor Nyako yesterday exonerated President Goodluck Jonathan
over speculations that the President was the brain behind the current
impeachment moves instituted by the State House of Assembly against him and his
deputy, Bala James Ngilari.
The governor
while addressing Journalists at the Yola Government House yesterday after his
return from Abuja, said the bids to oust him was the handiwork “of some desperate
politicians of the state based in Abuja and not the President as earlier
insinuated by some people.”
Nyako who
was out of the state for close to three weeks “to allow the impeachment moves
and political tensions calm down” said some senior citizens of Adamawa were
responsible for the current political crisis ravaging the state, stressing that
no external forces were involved in the scheme.
“The
presidency is not plotting to remove me from office contrary to speculations.
Because Adamawa State has a lot of intellectual and prominent persons in
government and beyond, when a matter crops up like this one, it attracts
different perspectives and approaches. That is the reason for the political
differences we have but not much of outside interference,” he said.
The governor
said he was flabbergasted when the same House of Assembly of recent extolled
his leadership style and passed vote of confidence on him and his
administration but turned around and accused him of gross misconduct and
misappropriation, adding that the situation called for sober reflections.
“As I was
coming back from Abuja, I came to certain conclusions on all the issues raised
and I find the allegations against me were nothing too serious. Three months
ago, the house itself had passed a verdict praising my administration of
transparency and best performing governor Adamawa ever had. Well, I don’t want
them to lose that faith,” Nyako said.
The
embattled governor debunked allegations of gross misconduct leveled against his
administration, saying that he would be the most concerned if financial
misappropriation was carried out in his administration, adding that no such
fraud was carried out under his tenure.
He further
assured that should there be any case fraud, he would assist the legislators to
expose it in order to entrench good governance.
However the
governor said after understudying the situation, he came to the conclusion that
all the commissions and omissions raised, were not the type that would
lead somebody to court to prove whether he is guilty or not.
Nyako said
he was making efforts at the EFCC to defreeze the state accounts, frozen as a
result of the impeachment saga just as he was working round the clock to meet
with some prominent Adamawa indigenes to wade into the matter.
“Very soon,
all forces of reconciliation will be set in motion. We will use our kinship,
traditional and religious leaders to calm down the situation. I am also
pleading with the EFCC to defreeze our account. Adamawa is a poor state and
depend only on Federal Allocation to pay its salary so that our people can have
reprieve during the Ramadan. If that was not successful, I will challenge that
in court as a Supreme Court has already said EFCC has no reason to freeze any
account,” Nyako said.
Meanwhile
another drama unfolded yesterday as youths allegedly loyal to Nyako harassed
some of the governor’s commissioners at the gate of the Yola Government House.
The irate
youths alleged that the harassed commissioners did not drum up support for
Nyako when the impeachment process began but were only there to pay lip service
to him.
However the
drama resulted in the smashing of vehicles of the affected commissioners and
other top government officials. Some were even physically assaulted for
allegedly abandoning the governor.
Tags
Politics
Nyako went to America with his fellow counterparts on how to look out for a lasting solution rocking the northern region, instead of addressing issues affecting the region' he spoke unprofessional against the president, now it's your turn Nyako. The house of assembly have levelled charges of misuse of public funds by the governor and he's deputy' obviously it's true and correct. Mr man carry your cross alone
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