By Innocent Onyeukwu
Embattled Imo State Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso, yesterday, told the 7-Man Judicial Panel of Inquiry investigating allegations of graft against him, that he will not honour the invitation of the panel because of the pendency of two law suits in the courts of the land challenging his impeachment by the Imo State House of Assembly. Agbaso, who abstained from the panel’s proceedings which was held at the Parliament Hall of Imo State Council of Traditional rulers said in a letter to the panel, while he is aware of Notice of Summons served him through the media, he argued that he has not been officially served. He challenged the purported steps that led to the set up of the panel of inquiry, praying that its activities should be terminated in line with the tenets of constitutional democracy and on the basis that the matter in question is before a court of competent jurisdiction. Agbaso said it will be subjudice if the panel carries on with the matter conclusively, since the law courts are yet to exhaust the matter. One of such cases is the one between himself and the Imo House of Assembly and three others which comes up on April 11th, 2013. In his reaction, counsel to Imo Assembly, Niyi Akintola (SAN) argued that the panel is not a party to the suits, the deputy Governor mentioned in this letter stating that the 7-man judicial panel of inquiry has not been sued by anyone in Nigeria.
He drew the attention of the panel to the decision of Justice Duruohaigwe of the State High Court to dismiss one of the suits the Deputy Governor attributed to his absence at the court. Akintola noted that the Deputy Governor cannot feign ignorance of the summons, stressing that he (the Deputy Governor) is only playing pranks with the panel. The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) further argued that the law, by virtue of section 101 and 102 of the constitution and by the House of Assembly the deputy governor is bound to be present at the proceedings. In his remarks, the panel Chairman, Justice Gordy Ihekire announced the decision of the panel to discountenance the letter from the Deputy Governor on the grounds of lack of merit. He said the panel will retire to write and present its report.
