THISDAYonline

Taraba State deputy governor, Barr. Uba Maigari Ahmadu, was yesterday impeached by the state House of Assembly .

The impeachment of the deputy governor followed the report of the panel of investigation earlier set up by the state Chief Judge, Justice Adamu Aliyu, on the orders of the state House of Assembly. Ahmadu was found guilty of five out of the seven allegations of gross misconduct levelled against him.

At yesterday's sitting, 20 members of the Assembly having adopted the report of the panel in accordance with section 188 sub-section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, okayed Ahmadu's impeachment as deputy governor.

Section 188 sub section 9 states that "where the report of the panel (set up to investigate allegation against a governor or deputy governor) is that the allegation against the holder of the office has been proved, then within fourteen days of the receipt of the report, the House of Assembly shall consider the report, and if by a resolution of the House of Assembly supported by not less than two-thirds majority of all its members, the report of the panel is adopted, then the holder of the office shall stand removed from office as from the date of the adoption of the report."

The majority leader of the Assembly, Barrister Ishaka Bawa, who read the report of the panel said 20 members consented to, and signed the removal order in accordance with the provisions of the constitution..

The Assembly upheld the panel's report that the deputy governor disclosed official information concerning government decision to source for loan to construct a housing estate, thus violating his oath of office.

The state legislators also upheld the panel report that the deputy governor had failed to substantially deny the allegation that he refused to act on the invoice sent to him by the Assembly in the absence of the governor, a situation which brought the activities of government to a standstill.

Yesterday's impeachment of Ahmadu brings to an end the war of attrition between the lawmakers and the deputy governor.

Although Governor Jolly Nyame has repeatedly denied any complicity in his deputy's predicaments, he recently told reporters he would not interfere in the affairs of the state legislature.

In his reaction last night, the Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Publicity and Lagos Liaison Officer, Mr. Aaron Artimas, told THISDAY that the crisis in the state is not unconnected with Nyame's current reforms.

He said Nyame had recently outlined new policies which are aimed at repositioning the state, adding that the implementation of the policies would have far reaching effect on the way things are being done.

Artimas explained that "the resistance to these new repositioning policies is also coming from some people who were indicted following the discovery of large scale fraud in the State Primary Education Board (SPEB)".

He pointed out that "seven officials of the finance ministry were indicted and some of them have refunded substantial sums to government coffers".

On allegations of Nyame's complicity in his deputy's impeachment, Artimas said "it is a normal thing that accusing fingers be pointed in a direction, unfortunately they are pointing at the governor who is not a legislator. How does it detract from the issues on ground?"

During his first term under the present democratic dispensation, Nyame narrowly escaped being impeached by the state legislators. The State Assembly had served him with an impeachment notice, listing his constitutional breaches. But the quick intervention of Vice President Atiku Abubakar salvaged the situation.

The first crisis in the State Assembly itself reared its head when the Speaker, Hon. Simon Shimpu was replaced by Hon. Habu Isa Ajiya. About a month later, the Assembly also made moves to remove Ajiya.

This immediately sparked off a protracted crisis, leading to Ajiya's voluntary resignation and paving the way for the emergence of Hon. Hamidu Suleiman as the new Speaker. Suleiman was also removed a few months later and replaced by Hon. Ibrahim Hussein as the fourth Speaker in four years.