Gone are the days when Nigerian politicians were believed to be untouchable by the law. Many citizens are now standing up to make sure they face the wrath of the law whenever they commit any offence. Human Right activist, Mr. KeneChukwu Okeke, MCSD is one of these people who wants to bring sanity to the political space. In a motion on notice marked A/606M/2019, brought before Justice Chukwudi Charles Okaa of the Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka, Monday, Mr. Kenechukwu seeked to compel the Anambra State House of Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings against Governor Willie Obiano for allegedly, “grossly misconducting himself in a manner that breached the express provisions of Sections 121 & 124 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (amended)”.

But reacting to this, the Anambra State House of Assembly denying said that there was no such attempt to impeach Governor Willie Obiano over alleged refusal to grant autonomy to the state judiciary. The rights activist had six months ago, in the Suit marked A/462/2018 sued the Executive Governor of Anambra State, and the House of Assembly on the need to implement the financial autonomy clause guaranteed for the Judiciary and Legislature (co-ordinate arms of government) vide Section 121 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (amended), citing alleged constitutional breaches by the Governor and the House of Assembly, and further threatened the compel the House of Assembly to the commencement of the impeachment proceedings against the Executive Governor of the Anambra State, should the lawmakers fail to act accordingly.

In the motion on notice, the rights activist further contends that in flagrant violation of the 1999 constitution, Governor Willie Obiano laid the Anambra State 2019 Appropriation Bill which contains the budgetary estimates of the Judiciary and Legislature (as prepared by the Executive Governor) before the House of Assembly and the subsequent release to the legislative and judicial arms in quarterly tranches, by the executive arm, the amounts standing to the credit of the Judiciary and the Legislature which is therefore illegal and unconstitutional. It was submitted, therefore, that the proper procedure is for the Judiciary and the Legislature to prepare their independent budgets or estimates, and any amount standing to the credit of the Judiciary is charged upon the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State i.e. statutorily transferred to the heads of the Courts, and that of the Legislature will stand transferred to the account of the House of Assembly.

It was also alleged that Governor Willie Obiano in abusing section 120 (2), (3) of the 1999 Constitution, started spending from the public tills without a valid appropriation bill properly laid before the House of Assembly in accordance with the Constitution which is the governing laws, the rights activist now approached the court seeking an order to compel the House of Assembly to begin the impeachment process, the House of Assembly has turned a blind eye to the illegality being perpetrated by the Executive Governor amidst the former’s refusal to impeach Governor Obiano based on the alleged constitutional infractions.

The pending applications in the suit, are further praying the Court for “an order striking down the Anambra State 2019 Appropriation Bill for being illegal and inconsistent with the express provisions of Sections 121 & 124 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (amended).”