Niger House Speaker Impeached

Adamu Usman,

The Speaker of Niger State House of Assembly, Adamu Usman, his deputy, Hon. Abdulrahaman Bala, the Chief Whip, Hon. Abdullahi Lawal and Majority Leader, Hon. Haruna Labaran were on Tuesday impeached for not taking action over the non-payment of the over head cost of the lawmakers since February.The principal officers were impeached by 19 out of the 25 members of the assembly.


The gate of the assembly was shut down as early as 7.30a.m., preventing members from getting into the premises but members after asking Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr. Aaron Sunday, politely to open the gate, he insisted he was working with directives from above.


The lawmakers then went ahead to break the padlock of the gate to gain access to the chamber where Hon. Abdullahi Akwanu who is the house chairman business and rule, told the assembly that after the assembly’s executive meeting on Monday, it was agreed that it should sit yesterday expressing surprise that no leader of the assembly, including the speaker was around for the sitting.


He therefore drew the attention of the assembly to order 8 of the assembly standing rule which provides that in the absence of the speaker from the assembly without any reason, a temporary speaker be appointed to enable the proceeding of the assembly.


A motion was therefore moved by Hon. Usman Dada, representing Bosso Constituency for the appointment of a temporary speaker and this was seconded by another member.


Hon. Isah Kawu, representing Bida 1 was immediately nominated for the position of the temporary speaker by Hon. Abdullahi Akwanu and this was seconded by Hon. Jacob Maggi Gana, representing Lavun Constituency.


Thereafter, Gana told the assembly that the refusal of the leadership of the assembly to show up after it was agreed at the executive meeting on Monday had caused the some level of embarrassment and therefore moved for the removal of the leadership.


His motion was seconded by member representing Paikoro Constituency, Hon. Yusuf Kure. After sacking the leadership of the assembly, the temporary speaker then called for nomination for the new leadership of the assembly.

Hon. Gana immediately nominated the temporary speaker, Hon. Isah Kawu as the new speaker of the assembly, Hon. Bello Ahmed (Agwara) Deputy speaker, Hon. Yusuf Kure (Paikoro) Majority leader, while Hon. Sa’adatu Kolo (Mashehu) Chief Whip.


The new speaker was immediately sworn in by the Clark of the assembly, Mallam Adamu Kagara


Meanwhile, the embattled has declared that he still remains the substantive speaker, while the leadership of the assembly remains the valid leaders of the House.


He described the process leading to his removal as illegal and unconstitutional.


“I am still the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly having been elected since May 22, 2012. The impeachment is illegal and unconstitutional. The leadership of the assembly still remains the valid leaders of the House. Lots of issues have emerged but no one has accused us of misconduct or financial misappropriation. “


According to him, the sitting which led to the declaration of his impeachment had no mace which is the symbol of authority, adding that there was also an order of interim injunction from the High Court in Minna restraining the members from jointly and severally setting in motion any process of impeachment pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.


Speaking with journalists after the announcement of his impeachment, Adamu said the bone of contention was the finances of the assembly as the assembly had not received overhead cost for three months, explaining that it was because of the economic meltdown from the federation account.


He added that the reason given by the members was not the legitimate reasons for his removal, stressing that all the reasons given are personal, “the issue is fundamentally finance, it is between the legislature and the executive, I am also affected. No money has been given to me that I did not give back to them. The leadership has been trying to talk to the executive to ensure the overhead cost is release but the executive has been saying there is no money.”


The embattled Speaker said the assembly was being owed overhead allowances since February this year, stating that this was anticipated because of the election and economic hardship in the nation.


He also warned the governor to be on alert as his impeachment was on the way.


“I want to alert the governor to be prepared because tomorrow, the members may serve an impeachment notice on him. Today, may be my impeachment, tomorrow, it will be the governor.”


However, addressing newsmen, the new Speaker, Kawu, denied moves to impeach the governor, while stating that the House never received any injunction restraining it from impeaching the former Speaker.


He said the decision to impeach the Speaker was in conformity with the rules of the game, adding that the impeachment stands as the quorum needed to remove the Speaker was in order.


Kawu then frowned at the involvement of the police and other security agencies for trying to create problem and cause crisis where there was no reason for such.


He allayed the fears of the people in the state that there will be crisis saying, “there were few nots and dots that we are suppose to put in some commas and full stop which we had to do, there is nothing to fear about.”


The new speaker was a speaker for one day before he was impeached and Usman took over from him.

Troops Kill 28 Suspected Militants in Plateau State
Troops at the weekend killed 28 suspected militants during operation launched in response to an attack last month which saw six soldiers gruesomely murdered, the military said Monday.


The violence occurred on the border between Plateau and Taraba States, an area plagued by waves of sectarian violence seen as separate from Boko Haram, although the Islamist insurgents have claimed past attacks in the region.


“In our effort to rid the border communities... of incessant killings and brigandage, there was an exchange of fire between troops and militiamen in which lives were lost,” military spokesman Ikedichi Iweha told AFP, referring to Saturday’s unrest.


“Twenty-eight members of the militia group lost their lives, one soldier was injured while another is still missing following the battle,” he added.


Iweha said the offensive in the districts of Wase and Langtang was launched in response to an April 28 attack by militants on troops operating in the area.
“They killed the soldiers, took away their arms, gouged out their eyes, cut their tongues and decapitated their bodies in a most horrible manner,” he added.


He fiercely denied accusations circulating in local media that the troops went on a rampage, indiscriminately firing on defenceless civilians in retaliation for the six soldiers’ gory deaths.


The Plateau State Sovernment spokesman, Pam Ayuba, said locals on his side of the border were angry their community was targeted in the operation, as the purported militants were clearly based in Taraba State.


There was no immediate indication as to the identity of the suspected militants and it was not clear if they had any connection to Boko Haram.


Iweha said the search for the attackers was ongoing.
Plateau State falls in Nigeria’s so-called Middle Belt, where the mainly Christian south meets the majority Muslim north.


Christian-dominated farming communities have clashed with largely Muslim herdsmen of the Fulani ethic group since the turn of the century, leaving thousands dead. Ayuba said the region on the Taraba border has been peaceful for several years.


Violence by Boko Haram has most heavily been concentrated in Plateau’s capital Jos, where churches and markets have been repeatedly bombed.


Most violence in rural areas has been blamed on long-standing sectarian grievances fuelled partly by battles over land rights.