Impeachment:The Charges Against Al Makura

NASARAWA State lawmakers on Thursday proceeded with their moves to remove the state governor, Tanko Al-Makura, by levelling against him 16 charges bordering on alleged official gross misconduct.

The charges by the state House of Assembly include missing local government joint account funds between June 2011 and April 2012; and from January to July, 2013.

The impeachment notice said the alleged offences amounted to gross violation of section 162 (7 and 8) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

The impeachment notice was signed by 20 out of the 24 members of the assembly.

Al-Makura alleged offences, according to the House, also include misappropriation/misapplication of funds in local government joint account and local government SURE-P Fund as well as transfer of local government Sure-P Fund to a fixed deposit account.

The governor is also being accused of spending N13, 205,000 on his wife’s trips to Abuja.

Unlike the case of the impeached ex-Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, Al-Makura’s accusers had been facing stiff opposition by groups in the state.

The protests commenced on Wednesday by some youths in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, continued on Thursday with angry youths in their thousands setting on fire a house said to belong to a man from the Eggon tribe in the state.

Al-Makura is of Gwandera ethnic extraction, which is one of the smallest ethnic groups in the state.