Adamawa: CJ inaugurates impeachment panel

Supposedly, the days of the embattled governor of Nasarawa State,  Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura, are numbered as the state's Chief Judge, Justice Suleiman Dikko on Friday constituted a seven-man panel to investigate the 16-count charge levelled against  him by the state House of Assembly.

The Chief Judge urged the members, who were inaugurated at the conference of the state Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Lafia, to carry out their duties in line with the 1999 Constitution.

'By virtue of the powers conferred on me by section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the letter from the honourable Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly with reference NSHA/MM/166 /VOL/ 1 /38 dated the 23rd July, 2014 requesting me to appoint a seven-man panel to investigate the governor, I hereby appoint you (members of the panel).'

'No proceedings or determination of the panel or of the House of Assembly or any matter relating to such proceedings or determination shall be entertained or questioned in any court,'' Dikko said.

According to him, the members of the panel were not members of any political party, and were to submit their report to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly in 14 days.

Members of the panel include Mohammed Sabo Keana, Rev. Dr. Joel Galadima (Rtd.), Alhaji Adbu Usman, Samuel Chaku, Mohammad Sani Usman, Pastor David Chaga, and Yusuf Shehu Usman as chairman.

The House of Assembly had on July 14 passed a resolution, directing the clerk of the House, Ego Maikeffi, to mandate the chief judge to raise a seven-man panel to investigate the governor over allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of oath of office and violation of the constitution.