Plateau Assembly Impeaches Speaker, Majority Leader

• Imo assembly committee submits report on deputy governor

Amby Uneze in Owerri and Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

The Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Mr. Peter Azi, representing Jos North West state constituency and the Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Henry Yenkwap, representing Shendam state constituency, were wednesday impeached by the House.

Twenty out of the 24 members of the House voted for his ouster in a signed document.

This is coming as the seven-man ad-hoc committee set up by the Imo State House of Assembly to investigate the allegations gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere, had submitted their report within 24 hours, against the six days given to them to submit their report.

The impeached speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly and the majority leader were immediately replaced with Mr. Joshua Madaki representing Jos East state constituency, who was a former chief whip, and Mr. Daniel Nanlong representing Mikang constituency, respectively.

Earlier, the member representing Barkin Ladi state constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr, Peter Gyendeng presented a signed document of the 24 members, citing incompetence and lack of leadership qualities as they passed a vote of no confidence on the duo.

Azi had to step down from the speaker’s seat to allow the Deputy Speaker Saleh Yitmong preside over the sitting and ask for nomination from members of the House to elect his replacement.

Mr. Yusuf Gagdi representing Kantana state constituency nominated Madaki as the new speaker, which was unanimously accepted through a voice vote.

In their acceptance speeches, Madaki pledged his unflinching support to the House and promised to play key roles in ensuring the business of the House moves forward, while Naanlong said a new page had been opened in the House as APC members would see the change they deserved.

Meanwhile, the ad-hoc committee appointed to investigate the allegations against the deputy governor of Imo State has submitted its report in less than 24 hours, against the six days given to the committee to submit the report.

The report, which was signed by Kennedy Ibeh (Obowo) as Chairman, Chinedu Offor (Onuimo), Ikechukwu Amuka (Ideato South), Lloyd Chukwuemeka (Owerri North), Chika Madumere (Nkwerre) and Ngozi Obiefule (Isu), as members, recommended further investigation of the deputy governor.

According to the three-paragraph report, it urged the House to resolve by motion to investigate the deputy governor and requested the speaker to requests the chief judge of the state to appoint a panel of seven persons to investigate the allegations in accordance with constitutional provision.

In a phone-in programme in the local radios monitored in Owerri, callers descended heavily on the governor and members of the Imo State House of Assembly as they rained abuses on them for failing in their duties to legislate good laws for the state.

Some of the callers called for the impeachment of the governor who they accused of contravening the constitutional provisions bothering on not applying due process into governance, disrespect to the rule of law, and conniving with the House of Assembly to stifle the other arms of government.

Meanwhile, the deputy governor, has alleged that he was yet to receive the copy of the impeachment notice as he is currently outside the state on an official assignment.

A statement issued by his chief press secretary, Uche Onwuchekwa stated that the response issued yesterday was issed by Onwuchekwa, in his own capacity and not that of the deputy governor