Nasarawa Assembly wants state Chief Judge punished; suspends APC lawmaker -

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has passed a resolution directing the clerk of the House, Maikeffi Ego, to petition the National Judicial Council [NJC] asking the commission to punish the state chief Judge, Justice Suleiman Dikko. The House also suspended Tanko Tunga [APC, Awe North constituency] over alleged gross misconduct and attempt to disrupt the House sitting during the last sitting of the Assembly. Mr. Tunga is to remain suspended for six months and would be paid half salary during the period. 

The lawmakers, who have been staying in Abuja since the beginning of the impeachment saga, arrived the assembly around 9.30 a.m. in a convoy of over 17 vehicles and escorted by security operatives. Few minutes before their arrival, 17 Hilux vans packed with security operatives, took over the premises of the state assembly. An armoured personnel carrier was also stationed within the premises. The lawmakers upon arrival, and on their way to the Assembly, were welcomed and cheered by a mammoth crowd of supporters at the state secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) along Jos road Lafia. After an executive session, the House dissolved into plenary. First it suspended its rule to allow the presentation of two issues of public interest — the motion on the state chief Judge and the suspension of Mr. Tunga. The sitting, which was attended by 18 of the 20 PDP lawmakers and the House minority leader, Adamu Maikatako (APC, Lafia Central], had only those two motions in the order paper. The motion on the chief judge, moved by the House majority leader, Godiya Akwashiki [PDP Nasarawa Eggon West constituency] concerned the composition of the seven-man panel by Justic Dikko to investigate the alleged 16-count impeachment charges leveled against Governor Umaru Tanko Al – Makura.