Midweek, youths took to the streets in Nasarawa State protesting for and against the move of the state’s lawmakers to impeach Governor Tanko Al-Makura. The legislators had a day earlier made to serve him the impeachment notice alongside the grounds for the move. OSEDEBAMEN ISIBOR in this report looks at the unfolding scenario in the North-Central state and wonders if Al-Makura’s time is not up given the seriousness with which Nasarawa State Assembly is pursuing the impeachment.
In the beginning
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
It was not as if it was not to come. After all, the indicators had been there for months thence. But when it eventually came, it took the nation unawares. And it was while Nasarawa State governor, Tanko Al-Makura was very busy playing host to President Goodluck Jonathan at the commissioning of a rice farm designed to be Africa’s largest in no time that members of the House of Assembly struck. That was last Monday.
In a motion of public interest raised by the deputy majority leader of the House, Yahaya Usman (PDP-Umaisha/Ugya) the lawmakers resolved to commence impeachment process against the governor.
The mover of the motion, Usman, presented a document containing allegations of gross misconduct against the governor, which he said was signed by 20 of the 24 members of the assembly.
“I’m on my feet to raise a motion under the matter of public interest and I will go direct to read the document I have in my hand, this is a notice of impeachment of Gov. Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State for gross misconduct. And for the violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), today being the 14th of July, 2014. Twenty of the 24 members of this House unanimously endorsed the motion to serve Gov. Tanko Al-Makura notice of impeachment,” he said to the lawmakers. The sitting was presided over by the Speaker, Musa Mohammed, PDP-Nasarawa Central.
Mohammed Okpede (PDP-Doma North), the Chief Whip of the assembly seconded the motion to serve Al-Makura with the impeachment notice while the Clerk, Ego Maikeffi, was consequently directed to serve the governor with the impeachment notice. The clerk was further directed to serve the governor the impeachment notice through the media, if he is not readily available.
And like the situation in Adamawa State House of Assembly, that of Nasarawa has 20 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP lawmakers and 4 All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmakers. The governor is a member of the APC. In other words, Al-Makura had been at the mercy of the majority PDP legislators for a long time given the weight of their disillusionment against him.
Lawmakers’ fury
The embattled governor’s aides, as observers said, are not handling their principal’s travail professionally. Instead of trying to manage the development in his interest, they appear to be taking to the familiar path of pointing accusing fingers at the person and office of President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, PDP.
Penultimate Wednesday in Jos, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the governor, Abdulahamid Kwarra, reportedly blamed the state’s lawmakers for unjustly moving to oust his principal. Hear him, “there have been eight impeachment attempts on Governor Tanko Umaru Al-Makura, the current one is the ninth.”
Kwarra further said the Nasarawa assembly, which was on recess to resume on August 12, hurriedly resumed for a special session to begin an impeachment move against the governor.
That apparent grandstanding may have fast-tracked the impeachment process and timing. Said one state legislator, “who is the special adviser, SA to accuse us that way? May be he was speaking his boss’ mind. If that is so, then we shall do the needful and expressly. In case you do not know, His Excellency has been in office all this while because we are better politicians and we love our dear Nasarawa State. But he doesn’t, and all those around him don’t. He just has to go.”
Thus, by last Monday morning, the hitherto hesitation on the part of the lawmakers was overwhelmed by a sudden fury which gave vent to a flurry of activities that culminated in the assembly’s resolution asking the clerk to serve the governor with the impeachment notice.
While Nigerian Pilot Saturday was told that Al-Makura resisted service of the impeachment notice, as ordered by the assembly, Kwarra the next day reacted otherwise arguing, “it is not true. The governor has been in the office since Monday. He performed his legitimate duties, we even addressed the media on state matters.”
He continued, “The clerk knows the procedure to see the governor. We have been in the office since Monday. How can he say he was not allowed access to the governor? If he claims he was not allowed access to the governor, that should be his business with the security, how does that concern the governor?
“I can assure you that the governor has been in the office since Monday carrying out his functions accordingly. We have not received any notice of impeachment, by the time it comes, as has been speculated, we shall respond appropriately,” he said.
But had the governor’s aide stopped there, it would have been tolerable to the legislators. But Kwarra rubbed in some salt while concluding that the impeachment of Nyako, a day earlier, followed by the impeachment move against Al-Makura, was a bid by PDP led by President Goodluck Jonathan, to throw out all APC state governors ahead 2015. “What happened in Adamawa State was an illegality, the lawlessness exhibited by the legislature in that state could amount to anarchy. I foresee a situation where the impeachment against Murtala Nyako would be reversed because the proper procedure was not followed.”
Abuja as safe haven
Ostensibly, having listened to the posturing of the embattled governor’s camp alongside the political temperature in Lafia, the state capital, the lawmakers relocated to the federal capital city of Abuja to consolidate their move to send the governor out of office.
The governor who had been accused of 16 offences summed up as “gross misconduct” also saw some appearance of light that could free him from the stranglehold of the battle-ready legislators; and pronto, he too, ran to Abuja.
In his own case, he wished “if only President Jonathan can intervene.” That strategy failed following the publication of the impeachment notice by substituted means in the media.
Speaker of Nasarawa assembly, Alhaji Musa Mohammed, had directed on the service thus, “in the event that His Excellency, Governor Tanko Al-Makura, cannot be reached for service, the clerk is directed to serve him with the impeachment notice through the media.”
But that move was still a subject of public discourse with some arguing that service via the media could be said to mean the same as what section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) intends.
That constitutional provision states, “the Speaker of the House of Assembly shall, within seven days of the receipt of the notice cause a copy of the notice to be served on the holder of the office and on each member of the House of Assembly, and shall also cause any statement made in reply to the allegations by the holder of the office to be served on each member of the House of Assembly.”
However, arguments in favour hold that the assembly adopted that process in order to avoid the “Nyako scenario” where the governor almost stalled the impeachment move against him by frustrating all avenues to serve him the notice. Not even the pasting of the notice on the gates of Government House, Yola helped matters.
At press time that Wednesday, Al-Makura entered, stayed, and prayed in Abuja believing that somehow, there will be some positive intervention.
However, he may have or may not have forgotten that he left his state in the hands of protesting youths who wanted the impeachment process halted.
Thousands of youths had trooped to the streets of Lafia and to the State House of Assembly to protest the bid. But that could not stop 20 determined legislators even as they scurried to Abuja for safe haven and needed environment for their work. Their action caused the military and police officials to secure sensitive public buildings including the state assembly structure.
A wife’s faith
As the scenario played out Thursday, it took Al-Makura’s wife, popularly called Hajiya to rest ther husband’s fate in God.
She told some protesting youths including women, “my dear women of Nasarawa State, I urge you, both Muslims and Christians to intensify prayers as only God can save the governor.”
Ostensibly, the wife of the embattled governor knows best. She may have calculated the factors for and against her husband’s travails before reaching that conclusion. She may also have some privileged information from her husband and all the efforts he may have made to save his job without success.
She may also have looked around for some interventionist from other quarters and realised that Al-Makura had been on the wrong side of the political divide in the state and the country. Perhaps, she still believes that the God of miracles could just perform one for her beloved husband. Her faith in God may be that strong.
But the bottom line for now is the fact that at press time the anger of Nasarawa State Assembly lawmakers against embattled Al-Makura, the tick, tick of the impeachment clock is becoming louder by the second. He may well be on his way out.
The man, Al-Makura
Umaru Tanko Al-Makura was elected governor of Nasarawa State, April 26, 2011, running on the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC ticket.
He was born around 1952 in Lafia, Nasarawa State and attended Dunama Primary School, Lafia (1959–1966), Keffi Teacher’s College (1967–1971) and then Government Teachers College of Education, Uyo (1972–75). For a short period in 1975, he was an Assistant Producer at the Broadcasting Corporation of Northern Nigeria. He then went to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1975–1978), graduating with a Bachelor of Education Degree. For his National Youth Service he was a teacher at the Government College, Markudi.
In 1978, he formed Al-Makura Nigeria Limited, importing and servicing agricultural and industrial machinery. Later he ventured into real estate and property development as owner and chairman of Ta’al Nigeria Limited, with properties in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Washington DC, United States. He owns the Ta’al Lake Resort, Abuja and the Ta’al Conference Hotel, Lafia.
In 1980, Al-Makura became the youth leader of the National Party of Nigeria, NPN, in the old Plateau State. He was elected to the constitution Assembly of 1988–89, representing the Lafia-Obi Federal Constituency of what is now Nasarawa State.
He was state secretary of the National Republican Convention, NRC party in Plateau State from 1990 to 1992. Al-Makura was a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Nasarawa State in 1998.
Al-Makura defected from the PDP after losing the primary elections for the Nasarawa governorship ticket. He was elected Governor of Nasarawa State on April 26, 2011, running on the ticket of then CPC.
He defeated the incumbent governor, Aliyu Akwe-Doma of the PDP. Until his recent travails, the governor was contented that he was in charge with the state of affairs in the Middle Belt state.