Abia Deputy Gov Impeached

Written by This Day Tuesday, 03 August 2010

The political crisis in Abia State took a new twist yesterday as the House of Assembly impeached the Deputy Governor, Comrade Chris Alozie Akomas, 48 hours after he announced his resignation from office.
Speaker of the House, Hon. Agwu U. Agwu, announced the impeachment at exactly 12.32pm during the House’s plenary, saying, “The Deputy Governor of Abia State, Comrade Chris Akomas, stands removed from office with effect from today”.

There was no dissenting voice against the impeachment. The Speaker directed the Clerk of the House to transmit the decision to Akomas and Governor Theodore Orji.
But in a prompt reaction, Akomas fired back that the action of the lawmakers was “medicine after death” since he had already resigned from office.
He said the lawmakers only “exhibited legislative recklessness and disregard for the rule of law”.
Akomas, who was then being investigated by a seven-man panel, told newsmen on Saturday that he had resigned with effect from July 30, 2010, alleging that the panel was determined to carry out its predetermined assignment to nail him.

The lawmakers, who are at present on holidays and are expected to reconvene on August 10, 2010, had convened in plenary to consider the report of the investigative panel.
The panel had concluded its sittings unceremoniously on Saturday, July 31, three days after it commenced investigations into the seven-point allegations levelled against Akomas by the state assembly.

The Speaker arrived the hallowed chamber of the House at exactly 12.12pm and in just 20 minutes the impeachment was pronounced.
Agwu set the ball rolling when he informed the lawmakers that he had received a 25-page report of the investigative panel set up following a July 22 resolution of the House, empowering the state Chief Judge, Justice Sunday Imo, to set up the seven-man panel.

Quoting Section 188 (9) of the 1999 Constitution, the Speaker said having received the report of the panel, which proved the allegations against the deputy governor, the House would then consider it and if supported by 2/3 members of the legislature “the holder of the office shall be removed”.
Thereafter the Speaker went straight to page 24 of the panel report and informed the lawmakers that the panel had “established” that the deputy governor was guilty of engaging in amorous relationships with some female members of his staff based on the evidence of CW1 (Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief Charles Ogbonna).

Apparently the panel either did not find the deputy governor guilty on the other six charges bordering on diversion of public funds and absenting himself from office and official assignments without permission or the lawmakers chose to dwell on the aspect bordering on amorous affairs to carry out the impeachment.
Having accomplished the impeachment of the deputy governor, the lawmakers continued with the remaining business of the day as the Speaker had in his introductory remarks assured them that proceedings of the day would be carried out with dispatch so that the lawmakers could go home and continue their “well deserved rest”.

Counsel to the former deputy governor, Obinna O. Nkume, said “this is a clear case of legislative recklessness in a democratic setting, which is not allowed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
He pointed out that Akomas had already resigned from office and submitted his letter of resignation to the appropriate authorities including the governor and the speaker, adding that the speaker even acknowledged receipt of the letter.

Nkume expressed disappointment at the way the Abia legislators had gone ahead with the “purported impeachment when they should be making laws for good governance.”
He insisted the impeachment would not stand in the face of the law.
According to him, Akomas had already instituted legal actions challenging the entire impeachment proceedings including a separate action against the chief judge for setting up the panel in the first place when there was a subsisting action on the matter.

However, the deputy chief of staff who was a star witness in the panel investigation told newsmen that the lawmakers were justified because the allegations against Akomas were “weighty enough” to warrant his removal.