13th March, 2024
By Jethro Ibileke
The Deputy Governor of Edo Philip Shaibu has denied refusing to accept the service of impeachment notice by the State House of Assembly.
The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, had at plenary on Monday, alleged that the Deputy Governor refused to acknowledge the impeachment notice.
He therefore directed that the notice be served on the Deputy Governor through publication in the State-owned Nigeria Observer and other national dallies.
Sequel to the Speaker’s directive, the notice was on Tuesday published in the Nigeria Observer and in the Vanguard Newspaper respectively.
While updating hid colleagues on the impeachment notice on the Deputy Governor, the Speaker said that the directive to publish the notice on newspapers was to ensure that all grounds were explored to adequately serve the impeachment notice to elicit his response within the seven day ultimatum given by the House.
But, in his reaction, the Deputy Governor denied being served impeachment notice by any official of the State House of Assembly as alleged by the Speaker.
In a letter addressed to the Speaker on Tuesday, dated 12 March, 2024, Shuaibu urged the Speaker to correct the impression created in the minds of the public that he evaded service of the impeachment notice.
The letter signed by Charles Olubayo, Personal Assistant, to the Deputy Governor, said no impeachment notice was ever served on the Deputy Governor let alone refusing to acknowledge it.
The letter reads thus:
“The Office of the Deputy Governor, Edo State wishes to draw your attention to the inaccuracies and misleading information that emanated from the plenary session of Monday, March 11, 2024, wherein Mr. Speaker directed that the impeachment notice be served on the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu through newspaper publications.
“He listed the newspapers as the Nigeria Observer and other national dailies, “sequel to the refusal of the Deputy Governor to acknowledge the impeachment notice.
“Mr. Speaker was quoted to have also stated at the said plenary that “the action became necessary because the Deputy Governor refused to acknowledge an earlier impeachment notice sent to him through the Clerk of the House.
“We wish to state categorically that, no impeachment notice was ever served on the Deputy Governor let alone refusing to acknowledge the impeachment notice.”
Olubayo, who said that the Deputy Governor has been out of Benin since 3 March, 2024, noted that he was yet to return from Abuja.
He added that the Clerk of the Assembly has not seen the Deputy Governor whether in the office, at home or anywhere since the said date.
He, however, expressed surprise that the House resolved to publish the impeachment notice in the newspapers .., because “the Deputy Governor refused to acknowledge the earlier impeachment notice sent to him through the Clerk of the House.
“That neither the Clerk nor any person sent impeachment notice to the Deputy Governor which he refused to acknowledge.
“It is therefore our prayer that Mr. Speaker corrects the impression created in the public as the outcome of yesterday’s plenary to avoid misrepresentation in this all-important matter.”