Avoiding political witch-hunt in Nasarawa

In a state that is contending with a plethora of ethnic and communal clashes, it is astonishing that the legislators would ignore the aggravating tension and instead on narrow selfish ends.Al-Makura survived a previous impeachment move when he was cleared by a panel set up by the state’s Chief Judge, Suleiman Dikko, to investigate the […]

In a state that is contending with a plethora of ethnic and communal clashes, it is astonishing that the legislators would ignore the aggravating tension and instead on narrow selfish ends.
Al-Makura survived a previous impeachment move when he was cleared by a panel set up by the state’s Chief Judge, Suleiman Dikko, to investigate the allegations of misconduct. The judicial panel determined that the legislators, who made the allegations against the governor, had failed to provide proof.
The lawmakers even tried to bypass constitutional procedure by shunning the panel, objecting to its composition and writing a petition against the Nasarawa State Chief Judge to the National Judicial Council (NJC).
Failing to be judge and jury in its case, wise counsel should have prevailed on the lawmakers that the judicial course, though politically motivated, had been exhausted and that they should let the status quo be maintained. That should be the legal position too, unless of course there is new evidence of a grievous character against the governor to warrant a revisit.  But there is no suggestion that the fresh move by the members to go on offensive against the governor is based on any new evidence, only that they are hell-bent on having their way, regardless.  
This is not the manner that lawmakers should conduct themselves.
Indeed, the lawmakers involved in the new plot were the same 20 out of the 24 members of the state’s legislature who signed the July 14 impeachment notice that led to the botched plot.
 Moreover, the charges are not new, save the mention of an alleged spending over N20 billion which they said was unaccounted for.  
The amount is said to represent part of the expenditure from the time the governor assumed office in 2011 and the second quarter of 2014. The charges were said to have been also drawn from the same audit report on the revenues and expenditures of the state.
Some of the charges in the botched impeachment move were also drawn from this report.
The current effort shows that the legislators have not learned any lesson from the public misgivings, even widespread anger, that trailed their earlier exercise and the aftermath of near-anarchy it brought the state to.
By putting their personal political interests above the larger concern for the stability of the state, the legislators have not lived up to the expectation of the people they profess to represent. There is an element of vendetta in their unrelenting pursuit of trying to achieve that narrow agenda, which is unbecoming of legislators.  
 It is unthinkable that they should be reminded that impeachment is a constitutional issue with processes that the members, as lawmakers themselves, should be conversant with.
What needs repeating here is the fact that in impeachment proceedings, once a panel clears the accused public officer, in this case the governor, of the allegations brought against him by the legislators, such matters are considered automatically terminated, except fresh charges are brought up. They cannot try the governor two times on the same charges.
The members’ discovery of a questionable spending from the same old audit report seems to be an afterthought that does not detract from the probe panel’s conclusion that the legislators had no case against Governor Al-Makura.
There’s much to be done to provide good governance based on the rule of law for the people of Nasarawa State. That is why members of the state’s House Assembly should allow reason to prevail over sentiment and, in concert with the governor, provide the needed environment for such good governance to take root and flourish.