The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has accused the Presidency of plotting the impeachment of the Nasarawa State Governor, Umar Tanko Al-Makura.
The governors made the allegation on Monday evening after their meeting at the Rivers State governor’s lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, which commenced around 8pm and ended in the wee hours of Tuesday around 1:02am.
It was learnt that members of the state House of Assembly, who are allegedly involved in the impeachment plot, have already started compiling impeachable offences against the governor. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has 19 members in the assembly while Al-Makura’s party, All Progressives Congress, APC, has five members.
The governors, however, described the alleged plan to impeach Al-Makura as an assault on the 1999 Constitution.
Chairman of the Forum, Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, who read a four-paragraph communiqué at the end of the meeting, described the plan as illegal.
The communique read, “It has come to our notice that the Presidency is plotting to illegally impeach the Governor of Nasarawa State, Mr. Tanko Al-Makura.
“We condemn this renewed assault on constitutional democracy”.
The governors also deliberated on the suspension of the Governor of Central Bank, Malam Sanusi Lamido by President Goodluck Jonathan.
They said the action was wrong and aimed at diverting attention from the current national discourse on the alleged missing $20bn from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation account.
According to them, “The suspension of Sanusi by Mr. President is in clear breach of the Nigerian Constitution and the CBN Act, 2007.
“The suspension is aimed at diverting attention from the current national discourse on the allegations of corruption and questionable accountability.
“We support the call of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the Senate Committee on Finance for a forensic audit of the NNPC Account”.
The governors also reiterated their concern about what they called the deliberate refusal of the Presidency to summon a meeting of the National Economic Council for seven months now.
The governors also argued that the action had scuttled the constitutional opportunity to discuss the “perilous state of the Nigerian economy thus plunging the nation into an economic and political crisis”.
They therefore appealed to the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court, to accelerate the hearing on all constitutional cases especially the suit on the Excess Crude Account and other illegal deductions.
On the killings in the North-East by Boko Haram, the Governors Forum condemned the wanton destruction of lives and property, but commended the Nigerian military and other security agencies for their efforts to quell the insurgency.
They called on the Federal Government to wake up to its responsibility of protecting lives and property in the country, especially in the troubled North-East region.
I think Amaechi has completely lost out in his search of weapons against Jonathan. He is simply now beating about the bush looking for pieces of reasons to latch on to discredit and pull down the government of Nigeria to support bigots who have promised him VP ticket. I think this is the height of folly and clownishness. Even his reasons are so hollow especially when he does not understand the implication of “suspension” and “sack” within the context of the constitution he was referring to. What an intellectually bereft clown of the century!
@hilary ekeman indeed you are layman that’s why you are expressing gaveges,indeed you ain’t got any aspect of law”while we are in Annus horriblis”but sadly you don’t know cos of selfishness and integration that been existing in you,well I think am done expresssing but ama tell that you are a fool and your statemets is awful cos you don’t know that any law that’s is contrary to public policy that law should be invali”