Kogi governor cuts water, electricity supply to CJ’s residence, group alleges

* Lawyers condemn assembly resolution removing Ajana, accuse
Bello of intimidation
*Allegations against gov based on mere mischief – govt

A civil society group –the Federation of Lawyers in Active
Democracy (FLAD) – has accused Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State
of ordering the severance of water and electricity supply to the
official residence of the state’s embattled Chief Judge, Justice
Nasir Ajana as part of the pressure to force him out of office.

The governor’s action, according to the group, is aimed at
intimidating and overawing Ajana because he is not in the good
books of the state government.

Reacting to last Monday’s resolution of the State House of
Assembly demanding the removal of the Chief Judge from office, FLAD
President Arome Husseini said the motion defied logic.

The statement dismissed as “null and void and of no effect
whatsoever” what it described as yet another instance of Governor
Bello’s intolerance of democratic institutions, the separation of
power and the checks and balances guaranteed by the
constitution.

The group said the 1999 Constitution as amended Section 271 ( 1)
292 (1) (ii) (a) and the third Schedule paragraph 21 part 1 of the
constitution which provide for the removal of a Chief Judge of a
state were totally ignored by the House.

It suspected that the Chief Judge’s travails may have begun on
the day he resisted the governor’s alleged interference in a
criminal case involving a ‘controversial federal legislator’ who
was granted bail.

It recalled how the state government punished two former
Speakers of the state’s legislature by denying them access to
utilities, the same punishment now being visited on Justice
Ajana.

It said: “a Speaker that was illegally installed was equally
forced to resign within one year after he complained during public
sitting that Governor Bello was harassing and intimidating him!

“In both cases, utilities like water, electricity and
communications were severed from the official residences of these
Speakers.

“Today the utilities of the learned Chief Judge and the Deputy
Governor of the State have equally been disconnected – all in an
effort to intimidate and overawe these state functionaries into
becoming puppets and stooges like has been achieved in the State
House of Assembly.”

It asked President Muhammadu Buhari to call the governor to
order.

The group vowed to use legitimate means including petitions,
demonstrations and litigations to protect the sacred institution of
the judiciary from the governor.

However, responding to our reporter on Sunday’s questions, Mr.
Muhammad Galacticus Onogwu who is the Chief Press Secretary to the
governor said Bello’s political successes had inspired endless
mischievous reactions from embittered political opponents.

His words:”generally, the water system in Lokoja is under
maintenance so, the shortage of water is across board and as I am
talking to you, I am running a generator like any other person here
in Lokoja.

“The talk about us owing the state’s judiciary staff about 10
months’ salary because of the Chief Judge’s travails is a big lie;
when the Federal Government gave us the Paris Club refund of about
N13 billion in November last year, labour leaders and the state
government agreed on collection of four months’ outstanding salary
by every worker in person.

“The judiciary workers refused to participate in the pay parade
exercise for reasons best known to them and their salaries are
lying there in the bank but they went on strike and even sued the
state government.

“We do not have any issue with the Chief Judge because the Kogi
State government under Governor Yahaya Bello does not interfere
with either the Judiciary or the legislature.

“We are approaching the period of another gubernatorial election
in Kogi State and those who are afraid of what the government has
achieved thus far are already afraid of a big loss in the November
election so, they are resorting t mischief because we have kept
winning.”