Nyako’s deputy faults impeachment notice

The Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, Mr Bala James Ngilari, has faulted the use of the word “impeachment” in the sack notice intended to be served on him and Governor Murtala Nyako. He said it was at variant with the provisions of the Constitution.

Ngilari, a lawyer, told reporters in Yola, yesterday that the attempt by the lawmakers to remove them from office was illegal. He said the use of the media by the Assembly to serve them an impeachment notice was overruled by the Supreme Court judgment in the cases of Rasheed Ladoja, Joshua Dariye and Peter Obi, former governors of Oyo, Plateau and Enugu states respectively when the apex court ruled that the impeachment must be served personally on the governors and not through the pages of newspapers.

He said the reason for the press conference was basically to tell the world that the allegation levelled against him was malicious and politically-motivated with the intention to tarnish his image. He noted that the people may think his silence meant he had consented to the allegations against him.

Ngilari said prominent among the charges is the claim that he diverted N50 million which is not true. He said the money was released to him by the Ministry of Finance under the instruction of the governor and he did not divert a single kobo.

Ngilari, who was secretary of the Oputa panel, said he had not been served the said impeachment notice, describing the process as a misnomer, lacking the due process of law as required by the Constitution.

The deputy governor said he would have kept silent on the issue in view of the fact that he has not been served, but opted to react to set the records straight for posterity.

According to him, for almost two weeks after the impeachment notice was issued, he has not been personally served as required by the Constitution. He said he learnt of the saga through the media, keeping quiet on it would signal that he was connected to the allegation.

He stated that for his integrity, as a lawyer, publication of impeachment notice on a public officer in the media is unconstitutional, null and void and urged the lawmakers to avail themselves of the relevant laws guiding such moves to justify their actions or allegation.

“In as much as I will not want to comment much on the allegation levelled against me in the impeachment notice,let me state in unequivocal terms that the whole claims are vague and lacking in material,” he said.

Sources said the impeachment move has polarised the PDP in the state. Ngilari, who is the leader of the state’s PDP, was away on foreign medical check-up when the process of the impeachment started, he returned to the state at the weekend to tell the people his story.

According to the deputy governor, the impeachment exercise was hatched by some PDP big wigs from the state but based in Abuja, regretting that such a group of persons were all out to destroy the state with their selfish antics.

Ngilari said he was privy to what transpired at the stakeholders’ meeting held in Yola at the weekend, as majority of those in attendance walked out of the parley because they were not in support of the impeachment move.