BREAKING NEWS, Political Briefs
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IF the recommendation of the ongoing national conference is accepted, Nigeria is going to have state police as in the United States. The conference at its deliberation on Thursday, June 26, voted for the establishment of state police in the country.
Prior to the adoption of the recommendation, there was a long argument which led the delegates to adopt the recommendation that at least, 70 percent of federal police officers from the rank of deputy superintendent to constable, should be allowed to serve in their states of origin. There were also arguments on the mode of operation of the state police should be and whether there would not be any superiority battle between the federal and state police.
Some delegates feared that there would be conflict of command and operations between the federal and state police which might work against the interest of the country. They argued that there was no way both could work together without rancour. They specifically raised concern over the possibility of harmonious coexistence of both federal and state police in states, especially when their duties overlapped.
Ayo Adebanjo, one of the delegates, said that state police should be autonomous and should operate as a coordinate with the federal police. On his part, Femi Falana, SAN, said: “The state police will police and maintain state laws while the federal police will maintain federal laws.”
Above all, the conference, however said only states that had the financial capacity to fund state police should create it.
Court Stops Nyako’s Impeachment
A HIGH court in sitting in Yola, Adamawa State, on Thursday, June 26, restrained the state House of Assembly from serving impeachment notice on Governor Murtala Nyako and Bala Ngilari, his deputy. The court, presided by Justice Ambrose Mamadi, acting chief judge of the state, also stopped the legislators from proceeding with the impeachment process against Nyako pending the determination of a motion on notice.
Jerry Owen, counsel to Nyako had filed a motion ex-parte on behalf of the governor, asking the court to stop the three respondents and their agents from going ahead with the impeachment moves.
The assembly has been trying to serve impeachment notices on Nyako and Ngilari. The assembly, currently on two weeks recess, met on Monday, June 23, at a special session to adopt the rules and proceedings of the June 18, where it directed its clerk, to serve the governor and his deputy, with the notices of financial misconduct through two national dailies. The session was presided over by Kwamoti La’ori, deputy speaker, even with the absence of speaker, majority leader, and other principal officers.
At the plenary session, Wafama Amfari, a member representing Hong constituency, raised an issue of constitutional matter to the effect that the decision of the assembly to serve the governor and his deputy, were purely for their alleged gross misconduct.
There and then, the deputy speaker invited the clerk of the assembly to come forward and furnish members with the resolution of the assembly on the June 18, which directed him to serve the governor and his deputy with the impeachment notice. In his response, Francis Gansenso, clerk of the Assembly, told the lawmakers that he could not serve the governor and his deputy owing to the fact that they could not be located. The clerk told the assembly that he had visited the offices of the governor and his deputy several times, but without positive results.
Justice Mamadi had a few days ago dismissed an application by the assembly to serve Nyako and his deputy the impeachment notice, through the media.
In the suit, the assembly prayed the court to grant its application in the face that the governor and his deputy could not be seen personally for them to receive the impeachment notice. In his ruling, Mamadi said: “in view of holding of the Supreme Court judgment in case of Inikojo and Adeleke to which I am bound, I refused to excise my discretion to grant the application sought by the House of Assembly,” adding: “I resolved the issue for determination in the negative, I refused the application, it is accordingly dismissed.”
Tinubu Charged for Misconduct
OLUREMI Tinubu, a senator representing Lagos Central, is in trouble with her colleagues in the Senate. On Thursday, June 26, the Senate accused her of gross misconduct and breach of privileges over the reports credited to her in some national dailies. In the newspapers, Tinubu allegedly accused leaders of the Senate of providing uninspiring leadership and always pandering to the whims and caprices of the executive.
Consequently, the Senate ordered Tinubu who was absent from the day’s plenary to appear before its committee on ethics to explain the reason for such “reckless” comment and why disciplinary action should not be taken against her. The committee was given two weeks to conclude its assignment and report back to the Senate. Victor Ndoma-Egba, Senate Leader, who raised the matter under Order 15 and 16 of Senate standing rules, read quotes attributed to Tinubu in the newspapers and accused her of contempt and breach of privileges. Tinubu, who is the wife of Bola Tinub, former governor of Lagos State, allegedly made the comment in Lagos while giving account of her stewardship.
In one of the publications, the senator was quoted to have said that given the poor and sentimental leadership being provided in the Senate, she would not seek a re-election in 2015 unless the opposition, All Progressives Congress, APC, secured majority status which she said could earn the party the opportunity to get the leadership position of the Senate. She said: “Senate is not a place I really want to go back to except the APC becomes the majority. But if it is the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, government, I don’t think it is the environment I will like to be again. I have had my fill.”
While decrying Tinubu’s statement, Ndoma-Egba noted that it was deliberately meant to malign the image of both the leadership of the Senate as well as the entire parliament. The Senate leader accused her of playing to the gallery by going to the press to disparage the institution to which she belongs. He described the action as misplaced since she had the opportunity and privilege to raise any issue she was dissatisfied with in the chamber. He said: “Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, as I said before, I’m a senator first and foremost and by the grace of my colleagues, a member of the leadership of the Senate and to the best of my knowledge, Senator Tinubu has never raised any concern with me or with the leadership on the activities of the Senate.
“I think it is most unkind. It is most uncharitable for a distinguished senator who has the opportunity of raising concerns with her colleagues, not doing so and going straight to the media to play to the gallery. So, I object very, very seriously to the comments made by Senator Tinubu and I want to submit that my privilege as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been breached by the said senator.”
In his ruling on the presentation, Ike Ekweremadu, deputy Senate president, who presided over the plenary session, asked Ndoma-Egba to lay the newspapers before the Senate and thereafter, referred it to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions chaired by Ayo Akinyelure, a senator representing Ondo Central, Ondo State.
— Jul. 7, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT
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