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Impeachment: Ebebi Drags Assembly, CJ To Court
The embattled Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Peremobowei Ebebi, yesterday, opted for the court in the battle to survive the impeachment plot against him by 17 out of the 24 members of the State House of Assembly, having failed to use influential Nigerians to save his job. According to reliable sources, he has sought an order from the court to declare illegal and unconstitutional the notice of impeachment and order directing the Chief Judge to set up a 7-man probe panel to investigate alleged misconduct.
The Presiding Judge of the State High Court, Justice Naiye Aganaba, however, granted an order for substituted service until the process is done to the defendants and ensure that all the legislators are served.
The Deputy Governor, through his counsel, Barr. Kemasuode Wodu, is seeking a declaration of the court, in the Suit YHC/201/2010, that without the presentation of a Valid Notice of Allegation(s) against him, signed by not less than 1/3(one third) of the members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly pursuant to section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and service to same on him and all the members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, the defendants cannot lawfully and validly remove him from office as the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa state.
Ebebi is also seeking a declaration that the purported notice of impeachment dated 1st day of June, 2010, purportedly presented to the 1st defendant by the 6th -22nd defendants, is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and of no effect whatever.
He is also seeking an order setting aside the purported notice of impeachment; an order setting aside the purported proceedings of the State Assembly, which was held on the 8th of June, including the resolution that the purported allegations of gross misconduct against the claimant contained in the notice of impeachment or any notice of allegations against the claimant be investigated, and requesting the 5th defendant(the Chief Judge) to appoint or constitute a panel of seven persons to investigate the Claimant.
The Deputy Governor also asked the court to “issue an order setting aside any purported appointment and or constitution of a panel of seven persons by the Chief Judge to investigate purported allegations of gross misconduct against the Claimant contained in the aforesaid purposed notice of impeachment or as may be contained in any purported notice of allegations against the Claimant,’’
Speaking with newsmen after the court’s sitting in Yenagoa, yesterday, lead counsel to the Deputy Governor, Barr. Kemasuode Wodu explained that, though the court has not stopped the impeachment process, “the law states that when you are seeking an order of injunction, nothing should be done during that period .We believe that all parties will await the determination of the court”.
In a separate letter to the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Kate Abiri, the Counsel to the Deputy Governor described as fundamentally defective the Assembly’s directive on the Chief Judge to set up a seven person panel, saying that same was commenced by way of impeachment, which is alien and unknown to section 188 of the 1999 constitution.
He said the Supreme Court has also confirmed that the entire concept of impeachment is unknown to the said section 188 of the Constitution in the case of “Inakuoju Vs Adeleke(2007) 4 NWLR Part 1025 page 427 at 578.
The Weekend Tide’s investigation revealed that after many Ijaw leaders, including Edwin Clark had failed to persuade the Governor Chief Timipre Sylva to soft pedal on the issue, Ebebi decided to seek refuge in the court, having refused suggestions that he should resign to save his political career.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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