* Constituents plan 1m man march* They are paid through contracts – House spokesman
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly was spending the second straight day by yesterday, in futile attempts to enter Government House in Lafia, to serve Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura with the notice of impeachment which motion the lawmakers passed on Monday, Daily Trust can report.
The House Clerk, Ego Mai-Keffi first reached Government House gate along Shendam Road by about 5:30 of Monday evening when the governor returned from Doma where he accompanied the visiting President Goodluck Jonathan to commission a rice farm owned by a foreign investor. But he did not get security clearance to enter Government House, and had to turn back, Daily Trust learnt. He was armed with a parcel and some documents, apparently containing the impeachment notice which the House ruled on, earlier in the day.
A second attempt came by about 10am of yesterday. The clerk was again turned back from entering by security guards who refused to clear him, sources at the Government House said.
The House, Monday, reconvened from an ongoing recess at an emergency session, and passed a motion of impeachment, alleging various breaches of the provisions of the constitution against Al-Makura, including misappropriation of funds from 2011 and 2014, as well as alleged gross misconduct and abuse of office processes. 20 of the 24 lawmakers, all of them of the PDP, signed the impeachment notice, containing 16-count charges, which copy is yet to be made public.
The lawmakers also passed a motion for the House to do substituted service on the governor if he could not be reached for service by the clerk who was so directed after the speaker, Musa Ahmed Mohammed ruled on the House proceedings which lasted about 12 minutes.
Some government officials spoken to confirmed to Daily Trust that the clerk did not find the way into Government House, and that the governor was not served as at the time of compiling this report, yesterday. They spoke to this reporter in confidence, pleading not to be mentioned in print.
Attempts to speak with the governor, and the Attorney General, Barrister Lagi Innocent were not returned, several hours after. But the information commissioner, Hamza Mohammed Elayo confirmed the governor was not served yet.
But Daily Trust learnt that since his return from Doma in the evening of Monday, Al-Makura has not left the premises of Government House. Sources said he drove straight to his official residence and remained there for the rest of the day. He broke his Ramadan fast in company of a retinue of aides and officials of the state government, who remained in the residence with him for much of the night, Daily Trust learnt further.
By yesterday, the governor was said to have resumed in the office by 8am, his usual time of entering office, but close aides said he was held up in long, successive meetings with different officials, and leaders of the state All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ego Mai-Keffi, the House clerk did not return our attempts to speak with him on phone, just as the speaker, Mohammed did not pick his calls. But the House committee chairman on Information, Mohammed Baba Ibaku (PDP, Udege/Loko) confirmed that the clerk could not serve the governor with the impeachment notice. But he added that it was of no consequence that the clerk could not serve the governor directly as required by law, explaining that the House envisaged such development when members passed the motion allowing for a substituted service.
“We have an alternative means; we will serve him through the media. He will read it in the newspapers and hear it on the air. Is that not all? He can’t escape it,” Ibaku said. “We are not bothered that he has not been served. It is not an issue.”
Meanwhile, Daily Trust learnt from leaders of various groups in the state, that they were planning state-wide protests to be held simultaneously across the state from today, to raise their voices against the impeachment proceeding.
Bisallah Adamus, secretary of One-Point Agenda Forum, a Keffi based pressure group of businessmen told Daily Trust that the forum convened a meeting of pressure groups across the state, to brainstorm on the matter, and take a decision which will pour Nasarawa people into streets as from today, in protest against the impeachment proceeding.
The hours-long meeting was still ongoing at the time Adamus spoke to Daily Trust, but he said groups present toed the line to decide on the peaceful protest.
“We have the right, but we are also trying to decide on writing law enforcement agencies, informing them of our decision. We will also seek security protection from law enforcement agencies, during our march,” Adamus, who said he hoped for nothing less than “a 1 million man march,” said.
But in a swift reaction, Baba Ibaku said it was of no consequence that groups will be planning to pour into streets with protests against the lawmakers.
“Let them organize the protests. We have done our job, which is constitutional. We are not bothered by such reactions. In any case, there is mixed reaction; I know of those who are celebrating because we have commenced impeachment process against the governor. And I tell you, some of them are members, even leaders of the APC which the governor’s party.
There are also people like this group in Keffi, who are not happy. But I know they are contractors or friends of contractors. They are paid. They are working for their money.we are not worried,” Ibaku said.
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