The crisis in the Edo State House of Assembly reached another milestone on Wednesday with the decision of the House to impeach its Deputy Speaker, Festus Ebea, for alleged misconduct and misdemeanour.
The 15 lawmakers, including the Speaker of the House, Uyi Igbe, endorsed the impeachment when it held a plenary at an old chamber, located in the Government House in Benin.
But the Peoples Democratic Party caucus in the House has described the impeachment of the House Deputy Speaker, Festus Ebea, “as a joke of the century.”
It said a deputy Speaker could only be removed after a petition detailing allegations against the office holder has been signed by two third majority of the members.
While moving the motion for the impeachment, a member of the House, Folly Ogedengbe, representing Owan East I, noted that the suspended Deputy Speaker was bound to be impeached, citing Section 92(2C) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 72, Rule 19 of the Assembly.
The lawmakers also elected a new Deputy Speaker, Victor Edoror, who took the oath of office immediately.
The House explained that it had to hold sitting at the old chamber, following ongoing renovation in the chambers, located at the Anthony Enahoro Assembly Complex. This, he linked to the possible forceful entry by the Deputy Speaker and some aides.
“This renovation work going on there was caused by the fact that the former Deputy Speaker and a group of aides forcibly entered the place and destroyed doors and windows. Of course, we had to repair them and put them back to shape,” Igbe said.
The Speaker also disclosed that that it would take a couple of weeks for repair works to be completed. “So, rather than sitting at home doing only oversight functions, I think the idea is that we should have somewhere to do plenary.”
He said that there were lots of reports in the House waiting to be attended to.
Also commenting, a member of the House, representing Etsako Central, Johnson Oghuma, who said that the Assembly was a civilised and law-abiding House, noted that it was disheartening that a member of the House could not obey a court order.
“If somebody, who call himself a lawmaker in a state, will not obey court order; it is disheartening. We cannot make law and yet refused to obey the law that we make,” Oghuma said.
The House adjourned sitting to July 7, saying that it would resume plenary in the old chamber.
However, the Minority Whip of the House, Kingsley Ehigiamusoe, said the sitting at the Edo Government House was null and void as according to him, “there was no resolution of the House that the plenary session of the house should be moved to Government House.”
“Under the House rule section 77, it is quite explicit of the way and manner the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker can be removed and under the rule, a petition must be signed by 2/3 majority of the members, stating details of the allegations against the office holders.”
“Then an ad hoc committee is set up by the House to investigate the allegations and shall within seven days submit its reports. Immediately after the debate on the report, if 2/3 majority of the House favours it, it is only then that the holder of the office can be removed. Anything short of this is null and void and he cannot be removed.
“They are only 15 members and the Speaker cannot vote and for them to remove the Deputy Speaker, they must be 16.”
The Minority Leader of the House, Emma Okoduwa, said, “If the APC wants to have a Deputy Speaker, it is for the APC caucus and not for the Edo State House of Assembly. The Deputy Speaker can only be impeached by 2/3 majority of the members of the House and they are only 15; that does not constitute 2/3 majority. That is what the constitution says.”
Follow Us