Nine Members of Kogi Assembly Suspend Embattled
Speaker, Others
Today, the lingering crisis rocking Kogi State House of
Assembly continued as nine members of the House suspended the
embattled Speaker, Hon. Momohjimoh Lawal, representing Okene II state
constituency, and 10 other members loyal to the speaker for their alleged
involvement in the leadership crisis rocking the legislative assembly since
November last year.
The members are the embattled speaker, Momo-Jimoh
Lawal (PDP), representing Okene II constituency; Hon Matthew Kolawole (PDP)
representing Kabba-Bunu, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Aliyu Akuh (PDP) representing
Omala; Hon. Victor Omofaiye (PDP) representing Ijumu and Hon. Sunday Shigaba (PDP)
representing Bassa state constituency.
Others are Hon. Alfa Momoh-Rabiu (APC) representing
Ankpa II, Hon. Enenche Linus (APC) representing Olamaboro, Hon. Obaro Pedro (APC)
representing Mopa-Muro, Hon. Ndako Idris
(APC) representing Lokoja II and Hon. Zakari Osewu (APC) representing
Kogi-Koton-Karfi state constituency.
The suspension order issued in the assembly at
plenary followed adoption of a report of the factional ad-hoc committee inaugurated
on March 10 this year.
The ad-hoc committee was charged to investigate the
sponsorship of the crisis and involvement of the National Assembly as well as its
failure to ensure due process even at the instance of a court injunction.
Presenting the report, the Chairman of the ad-hoc
committee, Mr. John Abah of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing Ibaji
state constituency, said the committee found out that the House of
Representatives was misguided by ''members who had interest in the crisis.''
According to him, the situation in the state had
not deteriorated into a breakdown of law and order for the National Assembly to
exercise its powers in invoking section 11(4) leaving out the provision of
11(5) of the constitution.
Abah said the 10 members had persistently fuelled
the crisis and made it extremely difficult for the assembly to resolve the leadership
impasse peacefully in order for the assembly to carry out its lawful and
constitutional responsibilities.
The committee, according to the chairman,
recommended that all legal processes instituted in various courts be
exhaustively determined to ensure due process, rule of law and justice to all
parties.
The committee also recommended that further
deliberation on the action of the National Assembly would be tantamount to
prejudice, therefore urged the assembly to restrain itself from engaging the
National Assembly on the matter further.
It also stated that the 10 members indicted by the
committee be suspended from sitting.
Seconding the motion for adoption of the report,
the Majority Leader, Friday Sanni (PDP) representing Igalamela-Odolu state
constituency, urged the assembly to adopt the three recommendations of the
committee.
The Speaker, Umar Imam, in his ruling, adopted the
recommendations as prayed following overwhelming voice votes in favour of the
report.
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