Impeachment: CJ constitutes panel to probe Kogi deputy governor

Nasir Ajanah, chief judge of Kogi state, has constituted a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct levelled against Simon Achuba, deputy-governor of the state.

Ajanah disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

The state house of assembly had requested the CJ to constitute a panel of inquiry to investigate the allegations.

The assembly had made the request in a resolution reached at plenary in Lokoja, the state capital, following the adoption of a motion by Abdullahi Bello-Balogun, majority leader, on Tuesday.

Ajanah said the constitution of the panel was in line with the provisions of section 188 of the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“By virtue of section 188 (7) (b) of the 1999 constitution, the panel has three (3) months within which to submit its report to the assembly,” he said.

John Baiyeshea is the chairman of the panel while Bilikisu Basher, William Aliwo, Z. A. Asun, Isa Adeboye, Muhammed Aikoye and Ada Shaibu are members.

Bamidele Aina, deputy chief registrar of special duties at the state high court, will serve as the secretary of the panel.

Ajanah said the panel would be inaugurated at the conference hall of the state high court complex, Lokoja, the state capital, on August 26.

Yahaya Bello, governor of the state, fell out with Achuba mid-way into their tenure. He had accused the governor of stopping his salaries and allowances to the tune of N818 million, an allegation the governor denied.

In an interview with TheCable, the deputy governor said Bello had not completed a single projected since the inception of their administration in 2016.