Senate attempts to impeach Senator Nwosa
Like the U.S. Senate, the Chadron State College Student Senate recently focused attention toward impeachment proceedings at its Monday meeting.
Though, in CSC’s case, a student senator’s political future was up for termination.
The Senator of the School of Business, Mathematics, and Science, Chinaza Nwosa, was present via Zoom as Chief Justice Nathan Cronin read the opinion of the Constitutional Court regarding a petition to impeach Nwosa.
“On Nov. 16, 2020, Abby Klammer, Vice President of the Student Senate filed a petition with the court alleging that Senator Chinaza Nwosa missed the regular senate meetings on Sept. 14, Sept. 21, Oct. 19, Oct. 26 and Nov. 2,” Cronin said. “Senator Nwosa then did not respond to the petition within the designated two academic days and the court issued a summary judgment in favor of the petitioner ordering senator Nwosa to comply with the senate bylaw regarding attendance.”
She didn’t comply.
“On Feb. 8, 2021, Senator Nwosa was not in attendance for the regularly scheduled weekly senate meeting,” Cronin said.
Senators may be absent from meetings but must notify the chief justice prior to the meeting .
After the Feb. 8 unexcused absence, Klammer filed a second petition alleging Nwosa violated the compliance order of the court. Once again, Nwosa had two days to respond to the petition but did not, so Cronin issued another judgment.
“This Constitutional Court issues a summary judgment in favor of the petitioner finding there was a violation of the senate bylaw regarding attendance and recommends the Student Senate impeach Senator Nwosa,” Cronin said.
At the senate meeting Nwosa issued her impeachment defense via Zoom, but her audio was consistently cutting out and lagging, making it difficult for the senate to understand her.
“It was very impossible that I missed six unexcused absences,” Nwosa said. “I know I missed two that were unavoidable.”
Nwosa’s audio then became nearly imperceptible as she approached two minutes of presenting her defense statement.
“Hey Chinaza, you’re cutting off just a little bit, and it’s getting a little hard to hear you,” CAB Chair Ruth Mencia said. “Now we can’t hear you.”
Once Chinaza’s audio improved, she decided she was done speaking. Vice President Klammer then offered senate the chance to comment.
When asked, Cronin explained he’d heard Chinaza’s defenses since November when she was served with a warning to comply with senate’s attendance policies. At the same time, Chinaza was provided with the documents to appeal the court’s findings, which she did not.
“She has also reached out to me and said we haven’t been counting her when she is here,” AFB co-chair Feven Hailemariam said.
“I think if she knew she wasn’t being counted, she should have reached out and said; hey I was at the meeting, but I didn’t hear you call my name,” Edna Senator Laura Clay said.
Student Trustee Konery Klueber also weighed in on Nwosa’s attendance habits.
“It’s hard to represent your constituents if you aren’t present,” Klueber said.
Senator Nwosa denied to comment about the impeachment proceeding.
“I really do not want my business out for the student body to read,” Nwosa said. “I would also appreciate my picture not being used for anything without my permission. ”
Onto the roll call vote, senators Colton Brienza, Olivia Bryant, Jennifer Campos, Laura Clay, Kelsey Crock, McKenna Juhlin and Siddhant Shelke voted to impeach.
Senators Meron Ameha and Chioma Asielue voted to not impeach.
Senators Isi Akwanamye, Bethel Alem and Elham Zeinuddin abstained from the vote.
Senators Brandy Friedrichsen and Toni Lopez were not present at the meeting.
According to Cronin, two thirds or eight votes were required to impeach; therefore, the 7 votes to impeach were insufficient.
Moving forward, Cronin says the Constitutional Court may discuss the possibility of equitable sanctions further when the whole court holds a meeting of its own.
In other news:
> Senate had $24, 674, 66 unallocated funds.
> Senate had $30, 000, 00 in unallocated trip funds.