Plateau Lawmakers Move To Impeach Speaker

PHOTO: PLATEAU STATE GOVERNOR JONAH DAVID JANG.

JOS, August 17, (THEWILL) - Plans by some members of the Plateau State House of Assembly to impeach Speaker Istsifanus Mwansat was resisted by thugs who were deployed to the House.

The thugs in their hundreds were allegedly mobilized by the supporters of the Speaker and they laid siege at the Assembly complex till evening when they dispersed. Ten members of the House who had been implicated in a petition to the ICPC are believed to be behind the move to remove the Speaker for his alleged complicity in the petition.

But while briefing journalists in his office, the Speaker debunked reports of the move to impeach him and the Governor of the state. He said there are processes and procedures for impeachment and the process must be followed. Speaker Mwansat described as false the alleged moves to impeach Jang.

"I want to put it straight that I am not aware and the House too is not aware. It is not true that any member of the House is contemplating impeaching Governor Jang as both House and the Governor are working together in the interest of the development of the state and nothing more than that, he said.

" I am usually surprised when I hear this. I came in the morning too; saw people at gate but of course, you must also know that this is not the first time we have people coming around here for various reasons and till this moment I have not had the opportunity of discussing with the people outside to know their mission here".

On the allegation that the House is divided over the row between Jang and his deputy, Mrs. Pauline Tallen and the two factions of PDP, Mwansat said both Jang and Tallen were elected under PDP platform and are working towards the development of the state and there is no one group for Jang and another for Tallen.

Mwansat however, admitted that ICPC sent invitation letters to the 24 Honorable members of the House following a petition send to it by some persons adding that the first batch honoured the invitation while the other batch will take their turn next week.

According to him, ICPC is constitutionally empowered to invite any official they receive a petition against for questioning.