Nasarawa Assembly VS Makpa Malla: Federal High Court Accepts Document of Approved N89, 000,000 Million Recess Allowance To 24 Members As Exhibit
Rabiu Omaku
The Presiding Judge of the Federal High Court sitting in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, Justice Yalem Bogoro has accepted the document tendered as an evidence by the complainants Counsel.
Bar.Benjamin Davou asked his client,Makpa Malla to read the actual approved and released recess allowance for the 24 Members to the hearing of the Court.
According to Makpa Malla,”His Excellency, governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura has approved the sum of N89,000,000M to the 24 Members as Recess allowance”.
“The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker take home N3,700,000.00M while other members would smile home with N3,639,000.00 which was just a difference of N39,000 only”.
Counsel to the complainant in an interview with Journalists shortly after the adjournment says only a Court of competent jurisdiction has the legal right to declared the seat of a member vacant not the Speaker of the House of Assembly.
Makpa Malla, a lawmaker, representing Wamba Constituency in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly whose seat was declared vacant wants the Speaker and Assembly charged for contempt for declaring his seat vacant inspite of court order restraining them.
NSHA on August 29,2018 declared the member’s seat vacant for defecting from the All Progressives Congress to the opposition party,All Progressives Grand Alliance.
According to the Counsel, his client got and served the Assembly with an order from the court after following due process of resignation from his former party.
Davou tendered his client letter of resignation, court order restraining the lawmakers from declaring his seat vacant,proceedings of the Assembly among others as evidence before the court.
Nikki Danlami, Counsel to the Nasarawa State House of Assembly objected the evidence but was overruled by the Presiding Judge.
The Judge,Justice Yalem Bogoro admitted the evidence and adjourned the matter to January 21, 2019 for further hearing .
