thisday news papers
• Panel insists on impeachment


Amid moves by the Lagos State House of Assembly to impeach him, the State Deputy Governor, Otunba Olufemi Pedro yesterday resigned his appointment in a very controversial manner, which caused a stir in the seat of government.
However, the letter is yet to be accepted by the Governor, whose aides claimed was not on ground to either accept or reject the resignation.
Notwithstanding his resignation, the seven-man panel set up by the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ade Alabi, to probe allegations of gross misconduct filed against him has promised to complete its assignment.
Pedro, in a two-paragraph letter dated Tuesday, May 8, 2007 and addressed to the Governor, formally tendered his “resignation as Deputy Governor of Lagos state with effect from Tuesday, 8th of May 2007”.
He thanked Tinubu for the “opportunity given me to work with you and to serve the people of Lagos state over the past four years”.
But in a statement from the Governor’s office late last night and signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, the governor said he has not received the resignation letter.
“The Governor wishes to further clarify that resignation is a process that begins with the notice of intention to resign and ends with acceptance of resignation”, the statement reads in part.
A mild drama, had however, ensued at the Alausa round house, Ikeja when a five-man legal team from the Gani Fawehinmi chambers led by Barrister Adindu Ugwuzor, a senior counsel, arrived the governor’s office at 2.21pm.
The lawyers who came with the aim of submitting the letter to the governor were turned back by officials of the governor’s office.
The Lagos government officials after going through the contents of the letter claimed that they had been directed not to receive any such letter.
A female receptionist in her mid-fifties, (name withheld), said, “that is the instruction they gave us, it is for the governor to reject or accept it, I cannot take the letter.”
A superior officer who arrived the scene at this point berated the lawyers for allowing journalists to witness the scene. “Why did you come with journalists? if there is any difference in opinion, you will have to talk to somebody else, this woman is not under obligation to explain why she cannot collect the letter.”
He then directed the lawyers to the office of the Head of Service, saying, “HOS is the number one civil servant. “The officer in question, directed his grievances at journalists around, saying, "Go and hunt for your stories elsewhere, if you want news, go to your office.”
The lawyers then proceeded to the office of the Secretary to the State Government in Block 1, within the secretariat as directed where they were told that the SSG, Omotilewa Aro-Lambo had resigned since November 2006 to participate in active politics and there had been no replacement.
They were asked to see the Chief of Staff whose officials in turn directed the lawyers to the permanent Secretary, Governor’s office, who was said to be away.
After exhausting all avenues, the lawyers put a call through to their principal, Fawehinmi (SAN), who directed the team of lawyers to drop two copies of the resignation letter in the office of the governor, whether acknowledged or not, saying, ‘In law, it is acceptable.”
The lawyers then went back to the governor’s office demanding to see the most senior official. At this point, heated argument ensured between the lawyers and security officials who barred journalists from gaining entrance.
One of the governor’s aides whose name could not be ascertained as at press time, insisted that journalists must be excused before he could have a word with the lawyers.
He said, “Please let them go out, you people should go and look for your stories elsewhere, you have a job to do and we also have a job to do.”
He then accused reporters of poke-nosing into purely government business.
The letter which was dropped was eventually thrown on the floor outside the governor’s office by the enraged female receptionist and later picked up by a supposedly mad man at about 2.52pm.
Investigations however reve-aled that the “mad man” is an official of the state security service (SSS).
None of the commissioners was on ground to speak with newsmen because they were having the weekly executive council meeting.
However, the State Comm-issioner for Transportation, Muiz Banire, was accosted on his way to the council chambers for the meeting.
When prompted to speak on the issue, he said, “How can he (Pedro) send a letter through an ordinary clerk to the governor, I recall that when he was appointed as the deputy-governor, he personally collected the letter of appointment.
“Others (Commissioners) that resigned came personally to give their letters to the governor, the onus lies on him to bring his letter personally to the governor.”
He went further to say, “the governor upon receipt of the letter has a right to either accept or reject his resignation. If for instance, Pedro is yet to give his account of stewardship in the last four years, the governor can tell him to put that in place before accepting his resignation.”
Investigations however revealed that a copy of the letter has already been received by the office of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly.
Meanwhile, despite his resignation, the seven-man panel set up by the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ade Alabi, to probe allegations of gross misconduct filed against Pedro has promised to complete its assignment.
The Panel’s determination to submit the report of its findings to the state Assembly was coming just as Pedro’s lawyer, Mr. Abiola Philips staged a walk-out on the panel.
At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, Pedro through his counsel, told the court that all the allegations against him, including disloyalty to the government of the state are false, stating that he has been upright and loyal to constituted authority.
However, responding, the state House Assembly counsel, who also is the Chairman House committee on legal matters, Hon. AbdulHakeem Abdulatif debunked arguments advanced by Philips stating that the Deputy Governor has no defence to the allegations brought against him.
The panel Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Adebola Badmus in his ruling, said “The Lagos State House of Assembly having adopted its written address and in view of the withdrawal of Pedro’s counsel, the panel is of the opinion that the defence does not have any defence.
"The panel deems it fit to close its defence and shall proceed to consider the fact as well as independent findings before it and shall be submitted accordingly.”
Opening his defence earlier, Pedro’s counsel referred to Section 188(7) of the constitution to query the time limit given by the panel to the deputy governor to submit his response to allegations filed against him.
Responding, Hon. AbdulHakeem Abdulatif said Section 188 (7) (a&b) cited by Philips has no bearing to what was going on in court.
The lawmaker said the intention of the section was that the probe panel shall submit its report within three months and not necessarily wait till the expiration of three months.
He noted “What Section 188 (7) implies was that if this panel gives its report a day after three months such report will be null, void and irrelevant.
"In the same vein if the panel gives its report within a day or two the panel would have acted within three months. This is a grand design to unnecessarily delay the hearing of this matter.”
The lawmaker insisted that emergency situation like what was on ground requires emergency measure. He subsequently urged the panel to allow them adopt their written address.
At this point, he announced that already his client has tendered his resignation letter. He therefore submitted that the composition of the panel was irrelevant.
He immediately walked out of the panel without taking any leave.
Meanwhile, a cross section of lawyers last night reacted to Tinubu's rejection of the deputy governor's resignation letter. First to speak was West African Bar Association (WABA) President, Mr. Femi Falana who says that Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution provides for resignation on the part of elective political officials.
According to him, once a deputy governor has resigned, there is no provision in the constitution for the rejection of his resignation.
"As far as the law is concerned, once the letter of resignation is received by the appropriate authority, that is the end of his political career. In other words, Mr. Femi Pedro has ceased to be the Deputy Governor of Lagos State with effect from the 9 May, 2007", he added.
Posing a rhetorical question, Falana said: "If I may ask, what was the impeachable offence against Pedro?"
Also Lagos lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo said it was wrong for Tinubu to refuse to accept the resignation of his deputy, adding that what the rejection signposts is a desperate attempt by the governor to humiliate his deputy.
"The rejection is simply because it appears the governor is hell bent on humiliating the deputy governor. We should not as democrats complain of the attitude of President Olusegun Obasanjo against his vice, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and then perpetrate the same tendency in our home state. It is very wrong", he stated.

Agboola1:

"The rejection is simply because it appears the governor is hell bent on humiliating the deputy governor. We should not as democrats complain of the attitude of President Olusegun Obasanjo against his vice, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and then perpetrate the same tendency in our home state. It is very wrong".

My sentiments exactly.