From: wsargeant@igc.apc.org (Winslow L. Sargeant)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: IPS:Nigeria, impeachment axe dangles ov'
Date: 25 Jul 92 17:13:53 GMT

/* Written 12:14 am  Jul 25, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "NIGERIA: IMPEACHMENT AXE DANGLES OV" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: NIGERIA: IMPEACHMENT AXE DANGLES OVER DEMOCRACY.


an inter press service feature

by remi oyo

akure, nigeria, july 22 (ips) -- the political axe of
impeachement is being wielded with abandon by civilian
legislators in nigeria's seven-month old state
assemblies.

it is back to the political irresponsibility of the bad
old days of party politics between 1979 and 1983, and is a cause
for concern with the return of civilians to federal government
in this west african country when the military finally hand over
power in january 1993.

but at least olufemi akinyemi is a happier man this week.
as speaker of the house of assembly of the western state of
ondo, akinyemi, a business administration graduate of oklahoma's
central state university, has been worried over plans to impeach
him.

''the basis of the action of some eleven legislators is
based on over-ambition pure and simple'', akinyemi (34) now on
firmer ground since the rest of the 51-member assembly refused
to join in told ips here.

if akinyemi thinks reasons for his impeachment are lame, so
does 66-year-old lagos governor michael otedola. elected on the
conservative national republican convention ticket, his assembly
is dominated by legislators of the welfarist social democratic
party.

''the legislators are making outrageous demands that cannot
be met by the administration'', otedola told civil servants
recently.

''the assemblymen have been requesting parcels of land
and other things like that...the cake is not something they
should be struggling to share yet'', the governor noted.

otedola's comments came in the wake of scathing criticism by
legislators over ''the slow pace and non-performance of
government''.

the ondo and lagos examples have been re-enacted many times
over in almost all states of this 30-state federation since
the civilian governors took their oaths of office in
january.

speakers, house committee chairs and local government chairs
have fallen under the impeachment band-wagon in the states to
the chagrin of president ibrahim babangida and the federal
government concerned with the political transition. (more/ips)


nigeria: impeachment (2)

''you don't just impeach because council chairmen don't play
ball'', justice minister clement akpamgo warns. he has suggested
giving governors and other public office holders powers to
contest their removal in court.

there are historical parallels. the most famous being the
bitter political feud between radical governor balarabe musa in
northern kaduna state in 1981 and a conservative assembly.

he lost his legal case when removed on a vote of two-thirds
of the assembly on the grounds that the courts could not
interfere in constitutional matters.

but akpamgbo, a former president of the nigerian bar
association argues that for the courts not to have jurisdiction
was not in the countries interest.

''there should be a marked difference between the courts
looking into the day-to-day affairs of the legislature and its
determining whether the proceedure of impeachment is right'',
the justice minister says.

but until the constitution is amended, an entire tier of of
state executives will have to be constantly looking over their
shoulder for the next pass of the impeachment axe.
(end/ips/ro/oa/92)


Newsgroups: soc.culture.african