By Okey Ndiribe
Despite the House of Representatives repetition of its impeachment threat against President Goodluck Jonathan last Sunday,the Federal Government appears to have adopted the carrot and stick strategy to tackle the  motion that was tabled before  the House of Representatives penultimate Thursday.

Investigations have revealed that the  Federal Government swung into action shortly after the plenary session of the House adopted the controversial motion.

It was gathered that apart from President Goodluck Jonathan inviting the leadership of the House for peace talks same day,  the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) released outstanding allocations to the three tiers of government hours after the motion was adopted.

President Goodluck Jonathan

It was also learnt that  after  the House session, the  Federal Ministry of Finance same day also credited the accounts of Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with outstanding fund allocations for the first and second quarters of the year.

Several ministries, departments and agencies have subsequently increased their tempo of activities in the last few weeks.

Our findings indicated  that some of the affected ministers have already reached out to principal officers of the House over  execution of major projects in their various constituencies. A principal officer was overheard during a telephone conversation with a federal Minister last Friday emphasising the need to complete the re- construction of a major road in his constituency.

He admitted that the ministry had finished a particular road project but insisted that a second project should also be completed.

This notwithstanding, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dr. Ngozo Okonjo-Iweala has reassured the law-makers that the Jonathan administration remained commited to executing all capital projects contained in the 2012 budget.

Addressing State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President  Jonathan last  Wednesday, she said 56 per cent of the 2012 capital allocation had been released to the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) by July 20.

Despite the Federal Government’s declaration of commitment to the implementation of the 2012 budget,     the Presidency seems to have also gone on  the offensive against the arrowhead of  the impeachment drive in the lower chamber of the National Assembly. Indeed, there are pointers to the fact that  the executive arm of government has taken the fight to the Inner chambers of the House.

Infact, the impeachment saga  took a new twist last week when Hon. Femi Gbajabiamilla, the Minority Leader of the House  presented the motion accusing the Presidency of launching media attacks against him.He accused the presidency of circulating misleading reports in the media to tarnish his reputation.

A  self-styled Legislative Awareness Group believed to be pursuing an anti-legislature  agenda  had alleged in a paid advertisement in some  national newspapers last week that  on February 27, 2007, the Highest Court in the State of Georgia USA, had  ordered that Femi Gbaja (Gbajabiamilla)  with state bar no.288330 be suspended from the practice of law  before a full panel of the Court led by Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears. The House Minority Leader was also accused of changing his name to avoid detection when he returned to the country.

According to the group:

“ Before the court could rule on the petition from his client, he (Gbaja)  filed a petition for voluntary discipline under bar rule 4-227(b) in which he fully admitted to stealing $25,000 from his client”.The publication further cited another report by Mercer Law Review on Legal Ethics which indicated that the Georgia Supreme Court disbarred 13 and suspended 15 lawyers during the period under review. The report further  indicated that Femi Gbaja was suspended for 36 months

According to the report: “In re: Gbaja, Femi Gbaja was suspended for 36 months for taking $25,000 of client money and leaving the country. Because he returned the money, cooperated with the authorities and expressed remorse, the Court suspended Gbaja instead of disbarring him.”

On his own part Hon. Gbajabiamilla had admitted he was punished  for professional misconduct in the United States in 2003.

According to him: “ Let me state very clearly that yes I was sanctioned by the Georgia Bar Disciplinary Board for professional misconduct and negligence due to an unfortunate ethical violation that took place about 10 years ago in 2003.”

Gbajabiamilla stated that it was his para-legal staff who stole the money contrary to his instruction that the said sum of $25,000 be paid to a client.

Femi Gbajabiamilla

According to him:”This did not come to my knowledge until I received a letter from the Georgia Bar in 2005. The letter was addressed to my Lagos address which I had left with the Georgia Bar as my contact address.

”It is necessary to state this, as it was alleged that I absconded. On the contrary, I informed the State Bar that I was moving back to Nigeria and left a forwarding address and email. Both remain valid till date.

” Upon receipt of the letter from the Bar, I immediately  travelled to Atlanta to find out what had gone wrong. Upon discovery of what had happened and being unable to trace the paralegal, I found myself in a bind as the disciplinary committee insisted I had violated rule 1.15 of Georgia Professional conduct pertaining to safe keeping, co-mingling of funds and allowing others to handle clients money. I accepted full responsibility and was sanctioned with a suspension.”

He however linked the media publication to his motion for the impeachment of the President over poor implementation of the 2012 budget. Said he: “ The cowardly act of this group and its paymasters shows unfortunately how low and degenerate our politics has become.

To the discerning, it is obvious where these attacks are coming from and indeed  a crying shame that an elected representative can no longer speak freely in defence of those who elected him and in the interest of the country. I find it rather curious that these attacks came on the heels of my moving for articles of impeachment against Mr President come September 18, if the proper thing is not done and the constitution and laws of the country continue to be violated.

” At no time did i ever think that taking on a powerful office would be a tea party or would not produce virulent attacks.”

Another tactic that the Presidency appeared to have adopted is that of isolating the opposition members in the

Green Chamber. Already, the leadership of the ruling PDP has set up a committee to mediate between the House which is dominated by the ruling PDP and the Presidency.

Deputy National Chairman of the party Dr. Sam Jaja had told newsmen in Abuja last week that the party would surely intervene to address the impasse. Chairman of the House Adhoc Committee on the Capital Market Hon. Ibrahim El-Sudi- also a member of PDP- gave this indication too when he  dismissed the impeachment threat as the machination of the opposition in the Green Chamber.