Impeachment: Nyako’s supporters beat up his commissioners, burn their vehicles

There was pandemonium at the Adamawa State Government House on Friday when some state commissioners and other top government officials were physically manhandled by supporters of Governor Murtala Nyako for allegedly working with the members of the House of Assembly to impeach the governor and his deputy, James Ngilari.
This was even as Governor Nyako has said that the Presidency had no hand in the impeachment saga as earlier stated by his officials.
He also berated the state House of Assembly over his problems, wondering why the legislators who had passed a vote of implicit confidence on him about three months ago, suddenly turned round to initiate impeachment proceedings against him over issues that were not weighty enough.
The House of Assembly had on Tuesday asked the state Acting Chief Judge to constitute a seven-man impeachment panel to investigate a 20-point allegations of financial fraud and mismanagement made against him by 20 members out of the 25 members assembly.
Some of those attacked included the Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, Hamidu Lawan; his counterpart in the Ministry of the Environment, Arziki Sawa; as well as the Commissioner for Agriculture, Lucy Ishaku, among other top government officials.
Trouble started for the commissioners and other top government officials moments after Nyako arrived Government House and the top officials were spotted trooping in to show solidarity with him.
However, the governor’s supporters were said to have accused the embattled commissioners and top government officials of allegedly back-stabbing Nyako and Ngilari as the impeachment moves gathered momentum.
’”You are saboteurs! You are saboteurs!!” rented the air as the commissioners were manhandled one after the other, thereby causing confusion and commotion within the Government House. .
Apart from physically beating up the commissioners, some of them had their official vehicles either smashed or burnt.
Meanwhile, Governor Nyako, who returned to Yola after two weeks of stay in Abuja, has said that the Presidency had no hand in the impeachment saga as earlier stated by his officials.
The governor said that the rift between him and the legislators was purely Adamawa State- related issues, which would surely be resolved soon.
Nyako, who returned to a rousing welcome by his political associates and admirers, lauded the people of the state for their calmness and peaceful co-existence since his problems began.
He dismissed the allegations of misconduct levelled against him by the legislators, saying that they were not weighty enough to elicit impeachment.
Nyako further accused the House of Assembly of not coming straight with his alleged offences.
Vanguard.