23rd March, 2024
By Jethro Ibileke
The Chief Judge of Edo, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, has constituted a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations of impeachment notice levelled on the State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, by the State House of Assembly.
A statement on Friday by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, in Benin, B. O. Osawaru, indicated that the panel would be headed by retired Justice S. A. Omonua.
Other members of the panel include Prof. Violet Aigbokhaevo, Prof. Theresa Akpoghome, Mr. Oghogho Ayodele Oviasu and Prof. Boniface Omomion, Dr. Andrew Oliha and Mr. Idris Abdulkareem.
The statement noted that constitution of the Committee was in line with section 188(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Recall that the House had mandated the Chief Judge to set up the committee to investigate allegations of gross misconduct brought against Shaibu.
The Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Charity Aiguobarueghian who moved the motion for the impeachment proceeding, had on Wednesday, 6 March, during plenary, cited perjury and disclosure of government secrets by the embattled Deputy Governor.
He announced that 21 out of the 24 members of the Assembly had signed an impeachment notice.
Meanwhile, the embattled Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has finally succeeded in serving Governor Godwin Obaseki and the House of Assembly originating summons in a case instituted to halt the impeachment proceeding against him.
It was gathered that the Bailiff was earlier sent away by the security operatives at the gate of the Government House, but was successfully served to the Governor by courier on Friday morning.
The Bailiff also succeeded in pasting the summons at the entrance of the State House of Assembly.
Justice James Omotoshoof the Federal High Court in Abuja, had on Wednesday, declined to halt the impeachment proceedings activated by the Edo Assembly against Shaibu.
He declined an oral application by Shaibu’s lawyer, Prof. Olawoyin Awoyale (SAN), asking the court to order parties in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/321/2024, to maintain the status quo.
The Judge noted that “The Governor of Edo State and the Edo State House of Assembly, who are the principal actors in the matter, have not been served with the originating summons of the suit as required by law.”
He subsequently granted Shaibu’s prayer to serve the court papers on Obaseki and the state House of Assembly by substituted means