The Chief Judge of Plateau State, Justice Lazarus Dayken, has set up a seven-man panel to probe the allegations of gross misconduct made against Governor Joshua Dariye by six out of the 24 members of the Plateau State House of Assembly.
In Anambra, the state House of Assembly also yesterday mandated the state Chief Judge, Justice Chuka Okoli, to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate the impeachment allegations against Governor Peter Obi and his deputy, Lady Virginia Etiaba.
The Plateau CJ had yesterday morning summoned members of the panel, as well as a few newsmen, into his office and inaugurated them. Only Justice Yakubu Yusuf, who incidentally was supposed to head the panel, was absent at the inauguration, for undisclosed reasons.
Dayken charged the panel to be fair in its investigations into the allegations leveled against the governor and come out with a credible result that would not dent their integrity. �You have a maximum of three months to do this�, he stated.
Turning to the invited journalists, the CJ accused them to be fond of carrying libelous reports and he therefore warned that he would take it up with any newspaper that dares him by reporting what he did not say. The whole process of inauguration was completed in about four minutes.
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, who was in Plateau to serve the CJ with a letter from the association, restraining the CJ from inaugurating the panel, was not granted audience until after the panel was inaugurated.
Speaking to newsmen, Agbakoba lamented that �I was not here on any political matters, but rather to see the CJ about the growing spate of impeachment. The NBA is bothered about the way and manner judges use their position to misbehave on actions that are unconstitutional these days.�
�It is clear to even a layman that the CJ of Plateau state cannot set up a panel for impeachment process on the address of 6 out of 24 members of the House. It is a shame that impeachment process are being aided by Judges these days and that is why I have come to see the CJ and give him a letter to express our grief and dissatisfaction that he could invoke his powers without due consideration for the constitution�, he said.
He added further that, �I am going to protest to the CJ of Nigeria, because Nigeria is facing election next year and if impeachment process continues at this rate, I am not sure how many states would survive.�
In a related development, a Jos High Court yesterday dismissed the case instituted by Mr Simon Lalong, embattled Speaker of the state House of Assembly, against Mr. Mike Dapianlong and others.
The presiding Judge, Justice Yargata Nimpar, struck out the case which sought the court to set aside the sitting of eight legislators on October 13 for lack of merit.
In her ruling, Nimpar said due to the sensitive nature of the case, the court would not stop the members from sitting because it was an internal matter of the legislature.
The case, instituted by the embattled speaker and three others, had prayed the court to issue an injunction restraining Dapianlong, Speaker Pro tempo, and the seven others from further sittings. Hearing in the substantive suit was however adjourned until October 31.
Meanwhile, the Anambra state House of Assembly has mandated the state Chief Judge, Justice Chuka Okoli, to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate the impeachment allegations against Governor Peter Obi and his deputy, Lady Virginia Etiaba and report back to the House.
This came just as the governor has sworn-in a new Clerk of the House.
This mandate followed a motion by the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Humphrey Nsofor, representing Ekwusigo constituency, which was unanimously adopted by the seventeen members present at the Wednesday sitting of the House.
THISDAY reports that the state legislators who had just resurfaced, after a week long sojourn in Asaba, Delta state and Abuja, stormed the assembly complex in Awka, at about 2.30pm in a Civilian Toyota bus, apparently for security reasons, and sat for about ten minutes before adjourning indefinitely.
There was a heavy presence of armed policemen in the Assembly complex, as a detachment of mobile policemen from nearby MOPOL 29 unit of the state police command were in position to forestall a possible break-down of law and order.
According to the motion mandating the Chief Judge to constitute the investigative committee on the allegations against Obi, which was seconded by Hon Ben Obidigbo, representing Oyi constituency, the legislators insisted that their action was in concert with the enabling laws and the constitution of Nigeria.
After the adjournment, the Speaker, Mr. Mike Balonwu hurriedly briefed newsmen, and declared that an appointment of a new Clerk for the House by Governor Obi earlier in the day was a nullity, stressing that the governor erred by not following due process.
Oct262006