Impeachment of legislators and a dead horse

By Ifeanyi Afuba…

Heaven only knows what figment of the imagination the bumbling legislators at Awka will conjure next to keep their fantasy impeachment of the Anambra Assembly Speaker, Rt Hon Rita Maduagwu, trending. The antics of the lawmakers since their ill fated bid to rock the boat of good governance in the State reminds one of that notable thriller by James Hadley Chase with the morbid title: Make the Corpse Walk. As impossible as the task is, the rich man at the centre of it all, continues to invest efforts at bringing his dead brother back to life in misplaced belief in the power of voodooism. Left disoriented by the collapse of their destabilisation plot, the Anambra impeachment legislators have resorted to the legislative voodoo of riding a dead horse.

Nothing, it appears, will be left out in the obsession to sell the public the dummy that there was a change in the Speakership of the State Assembly on Tuesday, November 13, 2018. But it seems lost on the wanton legislators, that the acceleration of their disinformation on the failed coup, situates them digging deeper to escape from a hole. What is more, the desperation of the lawmakers continues to expose the self serving nature of their campaign.

The proponents of impeachment motion had gleefully announced that they had by a number of 22 out of 30, removed Maduagwu from office.

But they would not tell Nigerians that the magic figure of 22 included 3 members who said their signatures were forged; 2 members out of the State at the time and few others tricked misled to believe that the ‘action’ list was to protest deduction from their salaries. They tried to hide from the public that aside the above deficiencies, their result was the product of indeterminate choruses when individual voice vote was explicitly required. Playing by the rules would of course expose the hollowness of the conspiracy and so tricks had to do. Yet, the deviant legislators were not embarrassed by the successful sitting later same day with 12 members in attendance and Speaker Rita Maduagwu presiding.

Now, to appreciate the extent of manipulation, revisionism and fabrication the plotters are prepared to engage in to cling on to their project, the rebellious faction claimed to have sat on Thursday, November 15, 2018 with 25 members participating and wherein it was resolved that Maduagwu’s impeachment was ‘irreversible.’ How interesting!

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But this balloon of deceit was immediately punctured by the Clerk of the Assembly, Mr Pius Udoh. The Clerk stated that he had earlier communicated the lawmakers on the postponement of the scheduled sitting. He disclosed that the legislative complex was under lock and key and the staff under instruction to report to office of the Head of Service in the meantime.

Recall that anti riot policemen had taken over the House of Assembly premises on the day in question with reports of firing of tear gas at some points. And a ghost plenary took place under this tensed atmosphere! Why have the Assembly cowboys up till the time of writing, not beamed footage of this eight wonder of the world for all to see? Simple. You can’t give what you don’t have. There was no sitting.

The life of the current legislative term is drawing to a close. With political campaigns and elections stretching to February 2019, there will be less than two months of legislative business in this dispensation. It clearly does not make sense to want to install a new Speaker at this last minute.

Except there is a hidden agenda. And the frantic attempts to ride a dead horse of impeachment warn that there is a mercenary angle to this plot. But Ndi Anambra will not allow political speculators to toy with their security and wellbeing.

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