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Impeachment saga: Abia House pardons Kalu’s
deputy
•Nwafor thanks gov, others
•Bury hatchet, Abaribe counsels
FELIX DURUMBA, News Editor
"S INNER, go, and sin
no more." With these words, Abia State House of Assembly yesterday forgave the
embattled Deputy Governor, Dr. Chima Nwafor, in a dramatic climax to the
latter’s impeachment saga.
Indeed, a good night’s sleep awaited Dr.
Nwafor, yesterday, as the Assembly subsequently halted further impeachment
processes against the Deputy Governor, even though the Emma Nwaonye judicial
panel that investigated allegations of gross misconduct by Dr. Nwafor had
moments earlier returned a verdict of guilty on him.
Dr. Nwafor was embroiled in controversy
following Gov. Orji Uzor Kalu’s claim that the acting chairman, People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih wanted to kill him (Kalu).
The governor named his deputy as having
passed on the information to him.
A row was instantly ignited by the
disclosure with the PDP leadership and the Presidency inviting Dr. Nwafor to
Abuja to expatiate on his role in the matter.
Subsequent allegation that the Deputy
Governor made a conflicting statement during the meeting and his rebuke later by
the party leadership, spurred the Assembly to begin impeachment moves against
him.
The Assembly said Dr. Nwafor was a
security risk to the state and nation.
A judicial panel was raised to investigate
the allegation.
Submitting the seven-man panel’s report,
yesterday, Mr. Nwaonye said investigations had vindicated the Assembly’s claim
of gross misconduct.
Nwaonye recalled that the Chief Judge,
Justice Kalu Awah had raised the panel to investigate allegations of misconduct
against Dr. Nwafor following a report from the State Assembly.
He stated that his committee was
constitutionally expected to submit its reports directly to the State Assembly
even though it was set up by the Chief Judge, pointing out that every member of
the committee was selected on their individual credit.
According to him, the committee started
sitting on July 12, 2004 and arrived at its findings presented in two volumes.
Nwaonye, who submitted the reports with an
official letter endorsed by the Speaker of the House, Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka,
first volume contained evidence from witnesses in the investigation which the
second is made up of exhibits in the investigation.
Receiving the report, Hon. Ohajuruka
thanked the committee for being painstaking in their investigation.
Ohajuruka said the Assembly would
immediately go into an executive session to consider the report and would
undertake other necessary actions on the matter in line with the provisions.
Tension was palpably high in the Assembly
as the lawmakers emerged from the executive session.
Hon. Ohajuruka, who spoke thereafter on
the floor of the Assembly, said the assembly had pardoned Dr. Nwafor.
"Sinner, go, and sin no more," he said had
been formally adopted as the final verdict of the Assembly in the matter.
Ohajuruka said the verdict was informed by
the plethora of pleas from a cross-section of Nigerians including President
Olusegun Obasanjo, Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, the national Chairman of PDP,
Chief Audu Ogbeh and Gov Kalu.
Ohajuruka stated that any verdict to the
contrary by the Assembly would have amounted to gross insensitivity to the
numerous pleas as well as disloyalty to the PDP.
Speaking earlier under a motion moved by
the Majority Leader, Hon Agwu U. Agwu, and seconded by the Minority Chief Whip,
Hon Matthew Ochiobi for the consideration of the report, the arrow-head of the
impeachment move, Hon. Christopher Enweremadu, said that in the light of the
pleas and requests from well meaning Nigerians on behalf of the Deputy Governor,
he said his 16 other colleagues had earlier on signed the motion for the
impeachment, had resolved that Dr. Nwafor "be allowed to continue in office as
deputy governor."
It would be recalled that following a
motion signed and adopted by 17 members of the assembly alleging gross
misconduct by Nwafor, the State Chief Judge had set up the seven-man judicial
panel to investigate the matter and submit its reports to the Assembly.
The 17 members who yesterday signed relief
for Dr. Nwafor are Hon. Enweremadu (Isiala Ngwa North), Hon. Onyeoziri Clement (Umuahia
North), Hon. Ifeanyi Wisdom Ogbonna (Ikwuano) and Hon. Acho Nwakanma (Obingwa
East).
There were also Hons. Orji Lekwanwa (Bende
North), Hon. Matthew Ibeh (Umunneochi), Uche Nwankpa (Obingwa West), Uzo
Azubuike (Aba Central) and Ude Oko Chukwu (Ohafia North).
The rest are Hon. Chidiebere Nwoke (Umuahia
East), Hon. Blessing Azuru (Aba North), M. O. Ochiobi (Isiala Ngwa South), M. J.
Ejiegbu (Isuikwato), Agwu U. Agwu (Arochukwu), Okerafor Emenike Dominic (Bende
South), Ngozi Ulunwa (Ukwa West) and Leonard Onyekwere (Umuahia South).
Moments after the impeachment saga, Dr.
Nwafor in a telephone interview with Daily Champion thanked Gov. Kalu, the PDP
hierarchy and eminente Nigerians who intervened on his behalf by urging the
Assembly to drop the charges.
He said with the issue now resolved, he
will rededicate himself to assisting the governor to tackle the problems of the
state and to provide democracy dividends to Abians.
Dr. Nwafor said he had put the events of
the impeachment behind him and now looked forward to playing his part in moving
the state forward.
Also former Deputy Governor, Chief
Enyinnaya Abaribe, who spoke with Daily Champion yesterday, appealed to the
parties to the now settled conflict to bury the hatchet.
He said in a situation of crisis as had
been the lot of this state since 1999, the people suffer as the gladiators will
focus only on their survival.
Chief Abaribe said the outcome of the
impeachment plot was a vindication of his earlier position that there was no
need for the process, adding that the issues raised could be settled through
dialogue and the spirit of "give and take."
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