Mayhem. That was the situation yesterday at the Anthony Enahoro Legislative Complex in Benin, Edo State, when armed thugs invaded the House of Assembly.
The thugs had invaded the house, following the impeachment of the Speaker, Mr. Victor Edoror and his deputy, Mr. Bright Osayande.
When the tension finally died down, the lawmakers elected the first female member, Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie, representing Uhunmwonde State Constituency as the new speaker and Dr. Joseph Okonoboh, representing Igueben as her deputy. Sixteen out of the 24 All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the house signed the impeachment notice that was made available to newsmen in the state.
It was gathered that trouble started when the member representing Owan East constituency and Majority Leader of the house, Mr. Folly Ogedegbe, moved a motion to impeach Edoror and the deputy speaker. The motion was seconded by Mr. Gani Audu, representing Etsako West Constituency 1.
According to the motion, “We, the under listed and undersigned honourable members representing the various constituencies in the Edo State House of Assembly have, on this day 3rd of May 2016, resolved to impeach our speaker, Hon. (Chief) Victor Edoror Tiger and the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Osayande for acts of gross misconduct.” Before Edoror’s ouster, a speaker ex-tempo, Mr. Patrick Iluobe, was appointed by the lawmakers to preside over the business of the day.
The new speaker, Ativie, announced the suspension of impeached speaker, Edoror, for three months for invading the chambers with thugs. Ativie, who briefed newsmen shortly after the former speaker was impeached, said the House took the decision to impeach the speaker on grounds of high-handedness, dictatorial tendencies and financial recklessness. “The removal of the speaker is a victory for democracy and freedom for Edo House of Assembly; we are all witnesses to how he has brought the House to disrepute.
“We have taken this decision today because he invaded the hallowed chambers with thugs; due process was followed in the impeachment of the speaker,” Ativie said.
According to her, a fiveman committee had been set up to investigate the finances of the House from June 2015 to May 2016. The new speaker said the impeached speaker has over six pending alleged financial cases before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
She stated that the lawmakers cannot tolerate an indecent character to occupy the exalted position as speaker of the hallowed chamber. The house added that a five-member committee, headed by the lawmaker representing Akoko Edo constituency one, Mr. Kabiru Adjoto, will carry out full scale investigation into the alleged financial reck lessness of the impeached speaker between June 2015 and May 3 this year. But Edoror said he remained the elected speaker of the house.
He said that only 11 lawmakers were at the sitting in the hallowed chambers when he was impeached. Edoror described his impeachment as unfortunate. “What they have done this morning is not legal. We will set up a committee to investigate the matter.
We are not going to suspend anybody,” Edoror said. A team of anti-riot policemen and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) were quickly drafted to the Assembly complex to maintain peace and orderliness. It was gathered that the house under Edoror had recently summoned some commissioners in Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s cabinet.
Also, under the watch of the embattled ex-speaker, the house sacked 18 local government chairmen without reference to the state governor; a matter our correspondent gathered did not go down well with the state government. The lawmakers were also against the impeached speaker for not protecting their collective interests.
