Nasarawa: When the chickens came home to roost

Sir, I wish to pick two of the views you expressed in the piece “Chibok girls on my mind”. First you noted that dialogue as an option has become imperative for the release of the girls and that and I am assuming that I understand you well, no outrageous demands on the part of the insurgents should be rejected. Using your own words “demands that would be unthinkable to grant would be made”. Then you went on that rationalising such demands for possible rejection or otherwise would be disingenuous and counterproductive. By this you mean government should simply accede to every nonsensical demands of unrepentant killers and brigands, if it will stop the killings.

I am amazed that such a view can be canvassed at all. It is like saying there is no law and that Nigeria is a jungle where killings in the name of some ill- thought out phobia

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From Hassan Abubakar

The chickens, as the old adage goes, came home to roost on Thursday, August 7, 2014 in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, when a federal minister, a former governor and National Assembly members organised and participated in a solidarity rally, urging the 20 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state Assembly members to proceed with the impeachment of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura despite the panel’s verdict on the matter.

It is disheartening that the protagonists of power-grabatshould consort in a shameful display of arrogance and self-incrimination from their conspiratorial nest in Abuja to stage such rally.

Worrisome was the fact that a minister of the Federal Republic, who is supposed to uphold the sanctity of the constitution, and a supposed founding father of the state, who also had the rare privilege of administering the state should engage in such brigandage.

These coterie of supposedly educated and national figures in full glare of national audience are not only fuelling crisis in their fatherland but arrogating to themselves powers that the constitution has vested in another arm of government, the judiciary.

This tacit support for the legislators to go ahead with the impeachment of Al-Makura is coming despite condemnation of the action of the 20 PDP members by those who should know. Lawyers and concerned Nigerians were unanimous in condemning the action, which they described as reprehensible.

Notable lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), while describing the gale of impeachments across the country as a danger to the sustenance of democracy, noted that the Nasarawa situation was an assault on constitutionalism.

“The impeachment charade in Nasarawa State was a glaring assault on constitutionalism. The demand of the House of Assembly for the disbandment of the probe panel set up by the chief judge of the state, amounted to a reckless abuse of the judicial process,” he said.

Also, former military governor of Kaduna state, retired Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, described the Nasarawa action as legislative despotism.

“The decision by the Nasarawa State PDP-controlled legislature to insist on proceeding with the impeachment of Governor Tanko Al-Makura even after the panel set up by the chief judge of the state found no merit in the allegations, can best be described as dangerous politics of brinkmanship, which can only result in serious security breach in the state,” the former governor warned.

The plethora of impeachments in the nation since the advent of democratic rule has forced the judiciary to make clarifications and interpretation on the ideal process envisioned by the framers of the impeachment provision.

The legislators in Nasarawa, in their power drunkenness, turned blind eyes to professional warnings, and therefore, missed their shots at every point.

Their first misstep was to have moved a motion directing

Notable lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana

(SAN), while describing the gale of impeachments across the country as a danger to the sustenance of democracy, noted that the Nasarawa situation was an assault on constitutionalism

the speaker to issue a Notice of Impeachment on the governor. This first act was not to be a business of legislative plenary. Again, they passed a motion for substituted service when it is only the speaker’s duty and not that of the legislators.

The speaker proceeded to advertise the Notice of Allegations in a newspaper as service to the governor without the requisite detailed particulars as required by law. No member of the Assembly was served; at least APC members of the Assembly denied being served. A transgression in the service of the notice is apparent, as well as nonattachment of detailed particulars.

In spite of widespread protests against their action, the 20 PDP members sneaked into the Assembly complex, and in a melodramatic manner, voted for the investigation of the allegations in the first constitutional compliance.

They proceeded to request the chief judge of the state to appoint a panel to investigate the allegations. Subsequently, the chief judge constituted a panel for that purpose.

It is, therefore, quite ridiculous that the PDP lawmakers sat in a hotel room afterwards in Abuja, where they asked the chief judge to disband the panel and constitute another.

All well-meaning Nigerians have so far condemned their action, saying it is the peak of legislative rascality and self-conceit. Their action was illegal and strange, as well as an affront on the country’s constitution.

They even boasted that no court of law could interpret the constitution better than them; hence they refused to approach the courts. They also refused to provide evidence in the 16 allegations against the governor.

For lack of evidence, the panel justifiably dismissed all the allegations against the governor.

I want to use this medium to call on all well-meaning Nigerians to rise in unison and halt this gale of impunity and desecration of the nation’s constitution by those swore to protect it. It is, however, interesting to note that both the Nasarawa State government and those working against it have respectively exonerated the federal government from this ignoble power play.

Our honest piece of advice to these power-drunk public officers and their supporters is that it is time to turn away from their sins. It will be to their own advantage to support well-intended programmes that will benefit the common man in the state. Let them join hands in the task of rebuilding Nasarawa State, a project Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura is pursuing to the admiration of the entire state.

Hassan wrote in from Obi, Nasarawa State.