The crisis rocking the Kogi State House of Assembly yesterday took a new dimension as 14 lawmakers loyal to the impeached Speaker Momoh Jimoh Lawal summoned the governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello to appear before it. They also suspended the five members, who sat and impeached Speaker Lawal.
The governor is to explain reasons why Permanent Secretaries, Directors, Accountants, Cashiers of Parastatals, Agencies, Ministries, Councils Areas have to be sent on compulsory leave.
The fourteen (14) lawmakers loyal to the impeached Speaker Jimoh Lawal also suspended the five (5) members, who sat and impeached the Speaker for acting contrary to the rules of the house and by “claiming to have sat without a quorum and forgery of signatures of ten members in the purported impeachment.”
The lawmakers are: Friday Paul Sani, Umar Imam, John Abah, Lawi A.T. Ahmed, Bello Abdullahi.Sequel to a motion moved by Hon Omiata Jimoh (PDP Yagba East) and seconded by Aliu Akuh (PDP Omala) during the sitting, with the presence of the Mace and presided over by Speaker Momoh Lawal, the lawmakers adopted all the motions and adjourned till March 8.
The motion stated that dissolution of the Local Government Service Commission, which he said is a statutory body created by law was illegal and should be reversed, adding that “abolishment of 1 per cent from the joint account of State and Local government without repeal of the law be disregarded and the status quo be maintain within.”
Jimoh added: “All institutions or directives of the State Government with respect to Local Government Service Commission, State joint Local Government Account, Universal Basic Education, Pension Bureau, contrary to the extant law establishing them be disregarded.”
The lawmaker insisted that the House of Assembly being an institution created by Law, “whose operations are guided by prescribed laws and rules have no reference to recognize any person or group of persons as leadership of the House other than Hon Momoh Jimoh Lawal, the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly.”
He explained that the Governor Yahaya Bello should by no means and in whatever guise communicate, receive or recognize anything from the group of five led by Ahmed Umar and that any transactions from the executive to or from the group of five shall be considered as fraudulent and met with legal resistance.
Credit: Guardian
