The Kogi House of Assembly has commenced impeachment process against the Deputy Governor, Simon Achuba, following receipt of a petition by 21 members of the House.
Speaker of the House, Matthew Kolawole, who said this at Wednesday’s plenary, directed that the Notice of Allegations signed by the 21 members be served on Mr Achuba for him to reply within 14 days.
Mr Kolawole said the action of the House was in line with Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in response to the petition.
In the petition read on behalf of the aggrieved members by the Majority Leader of the House, Abdullahi Bello, the lawmakers described the actions and utterances of the deputy governor on Channels and AIT televisions as well as other media organisations as a gross misconduct against the person of Governor Yahaya Bello and the people of the state.
“We, members of the Kogi State House of Assembly, have in the past few weeks and days watched keenly the actions and utterances of the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Elder Simon Achuba.
“We view the actions, both in public and national televisions with regards to the government, the governor and other key officials of the state government, especially the allegations of crimes, financial misappropriation and non-performance levelled against them.
“It is our belief that these actions and utterances of the deputy governor amount to gross misconduct in the performance of the functions of his office,” he said.
Mr Bello also said that in the petition, it was alleged that the committee of the Kogi government set up to look into the Iyano crises in Ibaji Local Government, made some findings that indicted the deputy governor over his actions in relation to the escalation of the crisis.
“It is our view that that deputy governor is guilty of gross misconduct and he ought to answer to and or substantiate all these allegations.”
The Speaker of the House, however, directed that the petition should be transmitted to the deputy governor, giving him two weeks to reply while the investigation into the alleged misconduct is ongoing.
By NAN
