Kogi House Of Assembly Removes Yahaya Bello’s Deputy From Office

Simon Achuba, the Deputy Governor of Kogi State has been impeached by the House of Assembly.

Mr Achuba, who was acquitted by a panel set up to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against him has been at loggerheads with Governor Yahaya Bello, who is seeking a second term in office.

The six man panel stated that the accusation put against the former deputy governor were not proved.

In its report it said: “In line with Section 188 (8) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) quoted herein before, we hereby report to the Kogi State House of Assembly that the allegations contained in the notice of allegations admitted in evidence by this panel as Exhibit C7 have not been proved.”

Despite being cleared by the panel led by John Baiyeshea, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the Majority Leader of the House still went ahead to announce his removal today.

Mr Baiyeshea has faulted the House of Assembly’s decision to remove Mr Achuba.

He said: “This is the most bizarre thing that I have ever heard in my life; we submitted the report to the speaker around 1pm and I left Lokoja for Abuja. I was at Gwagwalada area when one of the panel’s members who had not left Lokoja called to tell me that he watched it on television that the deputy governor had been impeached.

“As far as the report that we submitted to the House of Assembly is concerned, the committee returned the decision that all the allegations were not proved. What the constitution says in Section 188(8) is that, ‘once the panel returns a verdict like that. No further proceedings can be taken on it.

“That is it. It is only when the panel returns a verdict that allegations have been proved (to be true) that they can go ahead within 40 days. When did the House sit? We delivered the documents and the House was not even in session at that time.”