Politics
(UPDATED) Edo Speaker Cautions As Reps Probe Edo House Crisis
By Ayodele Oluwafemi
The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, constituted an ad hoc committee to investigate the crisis rocking the Edo State House of Assembly.
The speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Frank Okiye in a sharp reaction cautioned the federal legislators against allowing themselves to be used by stakeholders with partisan interests in the state.
The decision was taken at the plenary following the motion moved by three Edo lawmakers, Julius Ihonvbere, Peter Akpatason and Johnson Oghuma.
The lawmakers noted that the inauguration of 9 members-elect of Edo State House of Assembly on the 17th June, 2019 was improper and clandestine, praying that the House should as matter of urgent importance take over the affairs of the Edo State Assembly.
The motion reads; “That the National Assembly, in line with the provisions of Section 11 (4) of the Constitution, take over the affairs of Edo State House of Assembly and ensure the proper inauguration of the House, with the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General, State Security Services, providing the necessary security for the 24 members-elect to be sworn in as expected and required by the Law.”
Moving the motion, Prof. Ihonvbere noted that, “The House notes with concern the improper, clandestine and nocturnal inauguration of the 7th Edo State House of Assembly on the 17th of June, 2019, wherein nine out of 24 members-elect were purportedly sworn in without the knowledge of the other 15 members-elect.
After adopting the motion, the Speaker, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, set up a probe panel led by the former speakership aspirant, Mr Abdulrazak Namdas, to investigate the Edo Assembly crisis, while noting that , the findings by the panel will determine the next action by the House.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Okiye, has called on the House of Representatives not to allow themselves to be used by anyone to achieve their personal agenda.
According to the Speaker, the Edo House of Assembly was duly inaugurated on June 17, 2019 and since then the business of law-making has been going on without any hindrances.
He said, “May I state that apart from the fact that the Edo Assembly complied with the Nigerian constitution in the inauguration of the House, there also exists a court order with suit number FHC/B/CS/70/2019, FHC/B/M/285/2019, ordering the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, all defendants, their servants and agents, not to interfere, disrupt or obstruct the constitutional duties of members of the Edo House of Assembly.”
The speaker said, “We welcome the decision of the House of Representatives to investigate all the issues surrounding the inauguration of the Edo State House of Assembly. We are confident that they would not find anything contrary to the provisions of the Constitution.
“We humbly advise them to be guided and not get involved in petty politics to fan the ego of an aspiring Godfather.”
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