Speaker imposes 3 months suspension on four members behind plot
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue state has denied knowledge of the failed impeachment move against the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Mr. Hyacinth Dajoh.
Four members of the State Assembly, namely, Mr. Alfred Berger representing Makurdi North State Constituency, Cyril Ekong of Oju 2, Abu Umoru of Apa, and Shimawua Terna of Kyan State Constituency, were Friday at plenary suspended for three months on Friday for allegedly initiating impeachment moves against the Speaker.
Their suspension following a motion by the Majority Leader of the House, Saater Tiseer, who drew the attention of the House to the alleged plot by the four members to unseat the Speaker.
He recalled that the House had two days ago passed a confidence vote on the Speaker and Governor Alia and described the action of the four members as dishonourable and intended to create acrimony in the House because ‘they went behind to mobilise other members to cause chaos in the House’. He moved that the House suspend the lawmakers ‘from legislative duties for six months for indulging in dishonourable actions capable of causing acrimony in the House’.
Seconding the motion, the lawmaker representing Gwer East, Elias Audu condemned the action of the quartet and supported the motion calling for their suspension for six months. Also seconding the motion, the Majority Chief Whip, Peter Ipusu said if he had his way the four lawmakers would have been suspended for one year.
While condemning the action of the four lawmakers, Mr. Ipusu said ‘all our actions and our deeds have consequences. If somebody pulls a trigger at you and fails, it is better you kill the person before he gets an opportunity to do it again.
‘I feel so pained that a member of the leadership of the tenth Assembly would be nursing the ambition of becoming a speaker when there is no problem in this House.
‘He knew what he was doing, if he had succeeded, today he would have been sitting up there as the Speaker. He failed, he has no basis to remain in this House in the next six months. I want to support that motion wholeheartedly.
Ruling, the Speaker disagreed with members on the call for six months suspension of the four lawmakers saying ‘I take exception to where you said they should be suspended for six months, they sound rather be suspended for three months’. He then directed the sergeant at arms to take the effected lawmakers out of the chambers.
