Embattled lawmakers of the Edo State House of Assembly on Wednesday ejected the resolution of the House of Representative Committee to seal the Assembly down if Governor Godwin Obaseki fails to heed the recommendation to issue another proclamation for the inauguration of the 7th Assembly..
Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Frank Okiye said the position by the Reps ad-hoc Committee, led by Abdulrazak Namdas was biased and working to some plan.
In a statement signed by him, he said; “It has come to our knowledge that the Ad-hoc Committee of the House of Representatives investigating issues surrounding the inauguration of the Edo state House of Assembly has recommended that the Inspector General of Police, IGP, and the State Services Department, DSS, should seal up the Assembly.
“Considering what we know in the course of this process, the recommendation of the Ad-hoc Committee does not come to us as a surprise.
“For example, the chattered plane marked 5NFCT, which brought the committee members to Benin City, was paid for by the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, whois a major player in the disagreement.
“Also the younger brother of the National Chairman, Seid Oshiomhole, in a recent leaked audio conversation revealed the underhand dealings in the Abuja regarding the matter. He stated that Oshiomhole and his proxies have been having meetings with the committee members and other actors in the issue in Abuja and dolling our money to ensure the issue goes in their favour.
“With all these, it is clear the committee was up to no good. Their report was always going to be biased.
“Moreover, we want to draw the attention of the general public and the police to a subsisting court order restraining the police, headed by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, the National Working Committee of the APC, the DSS and their agents, from interfering in the affairs of the Assembly, as the House has been going about its activities peacefully and without rancour.
“The National Assembly must take note that they are expected to act as agents of peace and not merchant of crisis…
“At a time like this in which the nation is being engulfed in one form of violence or the other, it is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is seen to be promoting violence and exacerbating the tension in the country.”
The Reps Committee led by Namdas had issued a verdict that it would seal the over the crisis rocking the House according to Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution if Governor Obaseki does not issue a fresh proclamation to inaugurate the Assembly afresh and publish same in a television and national newspaper. within a week, according to Section 105 (3) of the Constitution.
On the heels of this Reps order and state lawmaker’s reaction, a Senate Ad-hoc Committee visited the state on Wednesday to investigate the crisis in the state Assembly.
Leader of the Committee, Senator Aliu Sabi Abdullahi who held a closed door meeting with Okiye and 10 members of the House, led by Okiye, told journalists after the meeting that said the committee was in Edo to find out things for themselves.
“Our objective is simple; to know what happened with a view to finding a lasting solution to the issue. For us in the Senate of National Assembly, the constitution allows us to interfere in way in the crisis to the state assemblies to restore law and order”
Earlier, Governor Obaseki during a visit of the Senate Committee members said he was happy that the committee came to intervene and expressed his surprise that if the APC had taken the same part of seeking justice, the situation would have been resolved peacefully.
He said he had issued a proclamation of the issue according toe the constitution.
“I have fulfilled my constitutional responsibility. I believe in the separation of powers. There were issues and we in higher authority should have stepped in to ensure it is resolved but now the matter is in court. I am sure the 109 members (of the Senate) will look at the facts dispassionately because I know you are men of integrity”, he said
