Ode to judiciary on Taraba

The reversal, last week, of the impunity that took place in 2012 in Taraba State deserves commendation. By that development, the Supreme Court has proved that the judiciary is, indeed, the last hope of the common man. This has also justified an old adage that no matter how fast a lie travels, truth will always overtake it.

Sani Abubakar Danladi was in 2012 ignominiously shoved aside from his position as deputy governor on circumstances that were said not to be very clear. The Taraba State House of Assembly had on October 4, 2012 impeached Danladi from office on purported allegations of fraud and abuse of office.

Majority of the state’s lawmakers, 20 of the 24 members, had voted to uphold the recommendations of a seven-member judicial commission of inquiry. The commission was named by Josephine Tuktur, the then acting chief judge of the state, to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against the deputy governor.

The panel said it found Danladi guilty of allegations of gross misconduct. According to the commission’s report, Danladi was said to have been found guilty of using his office to divert Millennium Development Goals (MDG) projects to Yagai Academy, a private school owned by him. It also indicted the former deputy governor of using his office to allegedly influence the posting of an officer and interfering in the affairs of his Karim-Lamido Local Government.

But in a turn of events last week, a seven-man panel of justices of the apex court had in a unanimous judgment held that Danladi was illegally removed from office on the recommendation of a “Kangaroo panel”. The Supreme Court stressed that the appellant was denied fair hearing, saying it was convinced that the seven-man panel that purportedly investigated allegations that the deputy governor diverted funds earmarked for MDGs to his private school “merely played out a script previously prepared and handed over to the panel”.

The apex court also held that it was illegal for 19 members of the Taraba State Assembly to have conducted the proceeding that culminated in the impeachment of the appellant at a guest house that belongs to the majority leader. The court maintained that the sitting ought to have been held at the hallowed chambers of the House, saying the conduct of the lawmakers was in breach of section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.

At the time of Danladi’s travail, reports had it that he was no longer enjoying a robust relationship with his principal, Danbaba Suntai, who was allegedly becoming uncomfortable with his deputy’s political ascendancy and affiliations with those Suntai was said to be considering his political rivals.

Following his ordeal, Danladi was not able to receive a national honour for which he had been nominated that very year. He also suffered humiliation in the form of arrests.

In recent timed also, we have seen justice being miscarried in some states as political officeholders were sacked without clearly-defined errors committed other than that they fell out of favour with their principals.

What the judiciary has done reminds us of its recent intervention in Adamawa State, where an obvious wrong was put right by installing James Bala Ngilari as governor. We wholly agree with the court that impeachment of elected politicians is a very serious matter and should not be conducted as a matter of course.

“The purpose is to set aside the will of the electorate as expressed at the polls. Whether it takes one day or the three months prescribed by law, the rules of due process must be strictly followed. If the matter is left at the whims and caprices of politicians and their panels, a state or even the entire country could be reduced to the status of a Banana Republic. The procedure for impeachment and removal must be guarded jealously by the courts,” the apex court further held.

It is said that the wheel of justice grinds very slowly but surely. In this case, that aphorism has been fulfilled. We profusely commend the judiciary for redeeming itself from public opprobrium in this case.

While we hail the turn of events in Taraba, we daresay that the court judges must be wary of the antics of politicians who get their consents to do some dirty jobs. With 2015 general elections by the corner, it is expected that there will be many disagreements that will end up in courts, before, during and after the polls. We expect the judiciary to save our fledgling democracy by standing on the side of truth always.

Now, it is our belief that the restoration of Danladi’s portfolio should also include all the privileges he may have lost in the course of his travail. By this we mean that the state should pay all his salaries and allowances till date. By so doing, justice will then be seen to have been done.