BENIN CITY – Edo State House of Assembly has suspended indefinitely the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Festus Ebea and three other Lawmakers over alledged misconduct.
The three others are Hon. Jude Ise-Idehen (Ikpoba-Okha), Patrick Osayimwen (Oredo-East) and Friday Ogierhiakhi (Orhionmwon-South).
The suspension followed the consideration of a motion moved by Hon. Paul Ohonbamu (Egor) and seconded by the Majority Leader, Hon. Philip Shaibu under Matters of Urgent Public Importance.
Hon. Ohonbamu stated that the affected members had undermined the strength of the House by making unguided utterances. Citing order 33, rule 3 of the House Rules which empowers the House to suspend any member who is found wanting.
The suspension was unanimously supported by other lawmakers.
Speaker of the House, Hon. Uyi Igbe thereafter directed the Clerk to confisticate all official property, including vehicles in possession of the affected Lawmakers.
Meanwhile, the member representing Akoko-Edo (I) constituency, Hon. Kabir Adjoto has stated that the suspended Lawmakers had constituted themselves into a committee, approaching other members to defect to the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Hon. Kabir Adjoto who is also the Chairman, House Standing Committee on Information stated this while addressing some All Progressives Congress (APC) youths led by Mr. Tony Kabaka who protested to the House calling for the suspension of the members who defected from APC to the opposition PDP.
According to Hon. Adjoto: “The suspended members since they defected to PDP have been approaching other Lawmakers and pledging to give them N70 million for them to defect from APC to PDP.
“They have been holding private meetings that can breach the peace in the parliament and that is not why we are here”, he stated.
The Speaker, while addressing the protesters noted that the Lawmakers whom they are requesting for their suspension have been suspended.
He however, noted that the Lawmakers were not suspended because they defected to PDP but because they have contravened the House rules.
Leader of the protesters, Mr. Tony Kabaka had informed the Speaker that they were in the House to call for the suspension of the four Lawmakers who recently defected from APC to PDP, thereby mortgaging their mandate.
It would be recalled that four APC Lawmakers, including Hon. Friday Ogierhiakhi, Abdulrazak Momoh, Patrick Osayimwen and Jude Ise-Idehen recently defected from APC to PDP.
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