By Lawani Mikairu

The Majority Leader of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon Naanlong Gapyil yesterday said the former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly (PLHA), Hon. Nuhu Ayuba Abok was impeached because of his dictatorial tendencies and gross incompetence  .

The Majority Leader stated this in an interview at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos . He alleged that the former Speaker used his position as Speaker to develop his personal political empire, thereby frustrating policies that could have engendered development to the state.”

Gapyil accused the former Speaker of shutting down the House for three months and finding a home in the major opposition party, noting that these acts culminated in what led to his ouster as the Speaker of Plateau House of Assembly.

The member Representing Mikang district at Plateau State House of Assembly showed reporters videos of the impeachment proceedings affirming that 16 members of the House of Assembly signed the impeachment notice and followed due process in line with the House rules.

The Lawmaker further noted with regrets that the House was just managing the former Speaker as he was at the lowest ebb on  matters, especially in areas relating to legislative businesses. 

“Abok is also said to have made concerted efforts to thwart all the efforts put in place by the current administration of Governor Lalong and the goodwill earned by it simply because he felt he has found a new home other than the All Progressives Party,” the majority leader alleged.

 He also said Abok is a product of the ruling APC, stressing that all he ought to have done (just like other members of the party were doing) was to have worked in line with the policies and programmes of the current government to ensure delivery of dividends of democracy to the people of Plateau State.

 “But I want to tell you that what the House under the former Speaker Nuhu Abok was doing was totally in the negation of what is expected of a leader who is supposed to put into account his primary responsibility first in all his undertakings. This is because we have the mandate of the people of Plateau State to represent them well.”

” Being a Speaker is a privilege and I must tell you that the way and manner Abok has managed this House as its Speaker can be summarized as embarrassing. First, since autonomy was granted to the PLHA under Abok, there was never a time that the Principal Officers ever met, discussed, and took any decision on any issue.”

 “Abok was only taken decisions solely without recourse to Principal Officers of the House. And I would be bold to state that his dictatorial tendencies are one of the reasons that cost him the Speakership”, he said.

 The House Leader added  that the former Speaker’s attempt to undermine policies of the current government embedded in Executive Bills was also his albatross. “Let me tell you that there is a Bill for Livestock Transformation on the ground. And if you look at the substance this Bill is carrying,  you would agree with me that it has the potency to address the issue of insecurity in Plateau State.”

” You would also agree with me that we have been bedeviled by security challenges in the State and the government and all spirited individuals are expected to work in synergy to bring an end to the menace. Because the Trinity of separation of powers involving the Legislative, Executive, and the Judiciary arms of government is such that these arms of government can always put heads together to bring about good governance. 

” So, it is not about one arm of government fighting or challenging another arm because our mandate is not to fight one another but to work in harmony towards ensuring the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people”.

 Naanlong further said it was laughable to hear some people say that the former Speaker’s behavior and attitude were geared toward protecting the interest of Plateau State. On this, the member asked rhetorically, “what is Plateau’s interest?. And how can the House of Assembly achieve that interest if is under lock and keyed as members of the Plateau State House of Assembly have not sat to deliberate on issues affecting the state since August?.

“Let me tell you, since August, members of the House have not been able to sit despite the fact that they have motions and Bills that they needed to present, deliberated upon and when passed would have enhanced good governance. The former Speaker has vehemently refused to open the House for business since August.”

” It might surprise you that attempt was made on the former Speaker three times to allow the Governor of the state to satisfy the requirement of the Constitution by fulfilling section 121 subsection 1 of the 1999 constitution to present the Appropriation Bill 2022 before the House. He refused. “

 ” We had to go begging him and you know that the budget carries the envelope containing developmental programmes for the state. Is this what the people voted us in to do? You shouldn’t bring your personal vendetta on the entire people of the state”.

Hon. Nanlong further expressed dismay over submissions of those who held the view that the former Speaker’s acts were geared toward protecting the interest of Plateau. “Tell me how has he protected the interest of Plateau? Firstly, what is Plateau’s interest and defined by whom? We are all people of Plateau State.

 ” We all have the same rights and duties. And I believe the interest of any Plateau person who has the interest of the state is to ensure peaceful coexistence among the diverse ethnic nationalities in the state which falls in line with the programmes and policies of this government. You’re a journalist, please tell me if the former Speaker ever introduced new and useful ideas or laws and the government refused to consider them?”, he asked rhetorically.

 On the rumours that Gov. Lalong has a hand in the impeachment of the former Speaker, the House Majority Leader said, “The Plateau State House of Assembly is autonomous and members are at liberty to discuss their issues. We are also mature enough to take independent decisions and that is exactly what happened. “

” The House took a unanimous decision because the former Speaker was destroying the Institution. Gov. Lalong has no hand in the impeachment of the speaker. And I am making this categorically clear for record purposes that Gov Simon Bako Lalong did not in any way influence the decision of the House regarding the impeachment of the former Speaker, Nuhu Abok”.

 ” We made bold to ask members of the media to take a headcount of the Hon. members in the House today which they did. Now, if you have watched the video containing House proceedings today, you would find out that apart from the minority leader and Hon. Simi, all other PDP members were present. In all, 14 APC and 2 PDP members voted and impeached the former Speaker and the record is available. No impeachment can take place without satisfying the requirement of the law and we are fully aware of this.”

  ” It is equally the reason why we ensured that we followed due process. The list of the members who attended today’s proceedings was submitted to the Clerk of the House and he confirmed it before he authorized the change in leadership of the House”, he said.

Recall that after the impeachment of Hon. Nuhu Ayuba Abok, Hon. Yakubu Sanda member representing Pengana Constituency was elected as the new speaker.