Nigeria: Ebonyi House Impeachment Saga and Guber Race By Nnamdi Akpa Abakaliki — IT appeared that the crisis had ended after Governor Martin Elechi affirmed that Rt. Hon. Chukwuma Nwazunku remained the authentic Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly. To give life to the governors verdict, the House of Complex, which was sealed off by security operatives, was opened to Nwazunku and his group and consequently, they sat with all the Assemblys administrative workers in attendance including the Clerk. During its plenary, the House passed a vote of confidence on him (Nwanzuku) for what they described as his transparency and other qualities. In a motion, Mr. Chike Ogiji representing Ikwo South constituency said the Speaker has been exhibiting good virtues as a leader who has never compromised his duty for any selfish interest. He described the Speaker as an epitome of humility, peacemaker and a great achiever who had run the house based on the constitution of the country. Seconding the motion, Mr. Valentine Okike representing Onicha West constituency urged the Speaker to continue to pilot the affairs of the House with the full support of the members. In a voice vote, members with a standing ovation adopted the motion while Nwanzuku thanked the members and the people of the state for their support and prayers. The House also received the report of the committee investigating Mr. Blaise Orji representing Afikpo South East, Mr. Frank Onwe (Ohaukwu North) and Mr. Eni Uduma Chima (Afikpo South West) for their alleged fraudulent acts and gross misconduct. It recalled the three members who were hitherto on suspension, with the Speaker charging them on good behavior. The House also commended the governor for his infrastructural projects scattered across the 13 local government area of the state. The members who returned from the one month recess while sharing their experiences enumerated the projects embarked upon by the Elechi administration, which include Oferekpe and Ukawu water schemes, international market, new secretariat at Ochudo city, 34 unity bridges and access roads, university project among others. The governors recognition of Nwazunku and his group had generated hot debates among political analysts and keen observers in the state with some people asking why Elechi made a u-turn despite saying he will maintain neutrality and not be at loggerheads with the House. The governor had in the heat of the crisis legislature said that he did not want to be dragged into it any face-off with the House. The governor made the statement while reacting to a sponsored advertorial entiled, Our stand on Ebonyi State House of Assembly Crisis and the hidden threat to impeach Governor Martin Elechi, claimed that they wanted to put him at loggerheads with the legislators and Izzi people (his in-law). Enjoining people of goodwill in the state and beyond to disregard the publication, Elechi said: On Monday 21st July, we woke up to hear about the impeachment of our House of Assembly and I invited the honourable members to my office on that same day. I heard from both sides and my position is that the House members have right to effect changes in leadership whenever they feel the need arises. I told them that whatever they are doing that, it must be with due regard to the nations constitution and the most important, in making those changes, they must ensure that the integrity, dignity and honour of the House is preserved. By so doing, we will collectively ensure that lives and properties in the state are protected and that our common interest is protected. Such has been and is still my position. That while changes are made when necessary, we must ensure that we do it in a way delightful and respectable way and you will also recall that since the present democratic dispensation came into being, Ebonyi House of Assembly was generally regarded as the most peaceful House of Assembly. But from December 2011, the reverse is the case. After the governors comment, the Ebonyi State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was the first to react, calling for Elechis impeachment for alleged incompetence, gross financial misconduct, reckless borrowing, loss of focus, abysmal performance and uncompleted projects. It stressed that the only person eligible to be impeached was the governor and not the Speaker of the House. The state APC Secretary Bernard Ebele said members of the House should stop victimizing themselves and come together to enact laws that would move Ebonyi forward. But the governor, not shaken by the comments, dramatically after a meeting with his party, made a u-turn, saying the alleged impeachment of Nwanzuku never took place. According to him, the PDP looked into the matter and believed that the alleged impeachment was done in error and the manner in which it was carried fell short of the law. Elechi pointed out that in a democratic setting, you allow every option to prevail but not the option that will truncate the principle of democracy and security of the people; that is why in the interest of peace we have taken this action. His comment came barely a week after the state chapter of the PDP and Ebonyis Founding Fathers met with both groups in an attempt resolve the matter though their resolutions were not made public. The governors position recognising Nwazunku got mixed reaction. Some argued that what happened showed clearly that the governor did not have a firm grip of the party but acting the script of a few individuals who want to hijack the party structure during the forthcoming general election. Others commended the governor for wading into the problem, maintaining that he took the best approach in resolving the Crisis. They said those against the governors decision want to truncate his wish of returning power to Ebonyi south. Coordinator of Ohaozara Development Center, Hon. Innocent Ojukwu, said what Elechi did was in the best interest of the party by saying let the status quo be maintained and to prevent the crisis from escalating as both groups after the purported impeachment went to the governor to lay their complaints and he, after listening to them, and other opinions from some individuals, said let the status quo be maintained. He went on: So I wonder why some people will be crying foul over the decision of the governor. The governor said that the impeachment was done on illegality and did not follow due process. So I am advising the aggrieved members of the House to sheath their swords and embrace peace especially now we are entering the political period. He said that Ebonyi Assembly was once regarded as the most peaceful House in the country due to the harmony and hearty relationship exhibited by the members among them and the party, adding that what the state needs now is nothing but a peaceful atmosphere. National President of Ebonyi Youth Assembly, Comrade Chinedu Ogar, who noted that those against Elechis recognition of Nwanzuku as Speaker want to truncate the latters wish of zoning the governorship position to the south. According to Ogar who is also the state PDP Youth Leader, what is wrong for the governor to say that power should move to the South after both the North and the Central have had their turns? He pleaded for understanding of the governor and partys decision, noting that no meaningful development will be achieved in the face of crisis and chaos. He however warned that Governor Elechi as the chief security officer of the state will not fold his hands and watch our darling Ebonyi engulfed by crises without responding positively. 2015 zoning of governorship to south This is another factor that many claim that might have led to the purported impeachment of the Speaker, as some politicians from Abakaliki bloc do not want power shift to the south. The problem started immediately after Elechi said during a media roundtable with journalists that the south would produce the next governor. As aforementioned, Elechis position was received with mixed feelings. Those from the South welcomed it but some politicians from North and Central questioned his right to determine where the governorship slot will be zoned. They argued that this is a democratic dispensation and the constitution of the country did not state that power should shift from one zone to another. Therefore, they contended that anybody, if qualified no matter the zone he or she comes from, could contest the governorship position. The governor stance did not go down well with the Abakaliki Block because they feared that giving power to the south was untimely, preferring to keep it for the next 16 years. The Izzi clan is spearheading the agitation that it is their turn to produce the next Governor. They are banking on the wife of the governor, Chief Josephine Elechi, who is their daughter to convince her husband to listen to them. The Central were the current governor comes from is also agitating for the position. The zone is made up of four local government areas namely, Ikwo where Elechi hails from, Ezza North, Ishielu and Ezza South. But the Ezzas and Ishielu are equally claiming that it is their turn to produce the next governor. An Ezza, Senator Igwe Nwagu, has already declared his intention to run. The issue of zoning has dominated debate among the political class and keen observers from the state. Before Ebonyis creation in 1996, the Charter of Equity, which was agreed by the two blocks that formed the state namely, Afikpo and Abakaliki, stated that power would rotate between them. But the governor who was one of the founding fathers told stakeholders during a Town Hall meeting that although there appeared to be an charter of equity in principle, which was not signed in any document that power should rotate among the major power blocs, especially the three senatorial districts, there are equally some politicians that question such arrangements and therefore insist that the contest should be left open. Charter of equity The Charter of Equity was a written agreement on how power should rotate between the two major blocs that formed Ebonyi State when it was created in 1996: The two major blocs (old Afikpo and old Abakaliki). The old Afikpo came from former Imo and Abia axis while the old Abakaliki bloc came from former Anambra/Enugu. The agreement, according to political gladiators from the state, was that if one bloc produces the capital, the other should produce the first elected governor. It was an agreement, which unfortunately was not signed. And so, the old Abakaliki bloc which had population advantage and two senatorial districts (Ebonyi North and Ebonyi central) as against one (Ebonyi South senatorial district) for the old Afikpo bloc, produced the capital at Abakaliki and the first elected governor of the new state in 1999 (Dr. Sam Egwu). Ever since, the people of Ebonyi South senatorial district have been shouting blue murder. The governor had noted that he alone cannot determine which zone will produce the governor but the party and going by existing sentiments and morality, power is supposed to rotate to the south senatorial zone in 2015. According to him the calculation was that since the inception of the current democratic dispensation in 1999, the south has not occupied the number one political position in the state. The North senatorial district was the first to take the shot through Egwu who was on the saddle from 1999 to 2007. The incumbent governor (Elechi), from Central senatorial district, succeeded Egwu in 2007 and is already doing his second term. Although Elechi hinted that he has no fiat to determine which zone will produce the governor but that morally since both the North and Central had had their turn the South should be allowed to produce the states next helmsman, but that does not mean that anybody from other zones that wants to contest cannot contest. The governor made it clear that during the turn of the North in 1999 all the zones contested but due to the fact that a majority had agreed that north should go, so Egwu was elected. Elechi added: The same happened during my nomination. Other candidates from other zones contested with me but I won because many supported my candidature. So I hope many will support me so that power will go to the South. Ebonyi people are waiting patiently to see how the whole drama will end as both groups are in court praying for recognition. Meanwhile, an Abakaliki High Court presided over by Justice Mrs. Ken Chinyere Eze yesterday ordered a female lawmaker, Mrs Helen Nwaobasi, to stop parading herself as the speaker. The ruling followed a motion brought by Nwazunku praying the court to restrain Nwaobasi from parading herself as the Speaker. The judge also maintained that the court has the jurisdiction to entertain the case thereby lying to rest an argument by counsel to Nwaobasi that it lacked the power to entertain the matter. She, however, ordered that the parties should continue to maintain peace and order and return to status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit on September 21, 2014 by the court.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Sep 2014 19:20:36 +0000
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