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By Itodo Daniel Sule, Lokoja.
In recent times, the Kogi State House of Assembly has been embroiled in deep leadership tussle. There has been crisis over who occupies the office of the speaker, even as other principal officers are not spared.
It all started when, on December 10, 2015, 17 out of the 25 members of the Assembly reportedly impeached the speaker, Momoh Jimoh Lawal, deputy speaker, Aliyu Akuh and the minority leader, Hassan Bello.
The motion for the impeachment was moved by Ukubile Ochijenu (Idah constituency) and seconded by Zakari Mohammed (Kotonkarfe constituency).
He said the 17 members unanimously signed the impeachment document, allegedly on grounds of incompetence, poor leadership style, betrayal of trust, amongst others.
Subsequently, the 17 members announced Godwin Osiyi Ojo (Ogori Magongo constituency) as the new speaker, John Abah (Ibaji constituency) as deputy speaker and Linus Eneche Ojochenemi (Olamoboro constituency) as the new minority leader.
But the embattled speaker, Momoh Lawal Jimoh, maintained that he and the other principal officers were never impeached as claimed.
He described what transpired in the House as an “ill-motivated attempt to hijack the leadership of the Kogi State House of Assembly by few members,” an action he said was at variance with legislative practices and principles.
After several weeks of the political crisis which grounded legislative business in the House, the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) waded in and urged members of the party, who are in the majority in the House, to sheathe their swords and support Lawal.
Just as the crisis was gradually waning, another round of leadership tussle erupted.
The crisis took another twist on Tuesday, February 16, 2016, when five lawmakers out of the 20-member Assembly said they had impeached the speaker, Momoh Jimoh Lawal.
Also purportedly impeached alongside the speaker were the deputy speaker, Aliyu Akuh and the majority leader, Kolawole Matthew.
The five lawmakers went ahead to announce Umar Imam, representing Lokoja 1 constituency as the new speaker of the House, Friday Makama as the new majority leader, Lawi Ahmed as the deputy majority leader and John Abba as the new chief whip. This was just as the remaining 15 members of the House also passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of Momoh Jimoh Lawal.
The five lawmakers who reportedly impeached the speaker had converged on the Assembly complex about 11 am, where they held a meeting behind closed doors and perfected their plan.
Journalists who had gathered at the premises of the complex were barred by security personnel from entering the chambers to witness the proceedings.
After their meeting, spokesman of the group, Friday Makama, who also presided over the meeting, addressed journalists on the outcome of their sitting.
He claimed that 15 signatures of members were earlier collected for the impeachment, adding that there was a resolution to change the leadership of the House.
Makama said that contrary to the belief in some quarters, nobody induced them to carry out the impeachment.
According to him, Jimoh was impeached because of his inability to lead the House properly.
But in a swift reaction, the embattled speaker described the development as a “kangaroo arrangement that cannot stand.”
Lawal said the purported impeachment was illegal, adding that five members could not claim to have removed him and other principal officers of the Assembly.
According to him, the said sitting where he was purportedly impeached was illegal as it was not done in accordance with the rules of the House.
“The truth is that 15 members did not sign the purported impeachment document; rather, 15 members came to my residence to pass a vote of confidence on my leadership. So how can they claim that 15 members signed the purported impeachment,” Lawal said.
In the unfolding drama, it was learnt that the security aides of the embattled speaker were withdrawn and his backup vehicles forcefully towed away from his official residence.
But following the directives from the inspector-general of police, the embattled speaker’s security aides were later restored.
However, the impeachment of speaker Jimoh Lawal (PDP Okene constituency) and his replacement by Umar Imam (Lokoja 1 constituency) is alleged to be the handiwork of the executive arm of government. It was said that Governor Yahaya Bello needed a speaker that would be loyal to him. But the governor has since denied the allegation.
Not satisfied with the purported impeachment, the embattled speaker led 14 members in his group to the National Assembly in Abuja on Wednesday, February 17, where he presented a petition to the speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.
Subsequently, the lawmakers called for investigation into what they termed an “act of impunity by the governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello and five members of the Kogi State House of Assembly.”
In the petition, 10 lawmakers alleged that their signatures were forged to carry out the purported impeachment, under the protection of the governor.
While in Abuja, 15 lawmakers of the Kogi House of Assembly met and issued an impeachment notice to the deputy governor, Simon Achuba, whom they alleged instigated the five lawmakers to impeach the governor.
The group also summoned Governor Yahaya Bello to appear before it to explain reasons why permanent secretaries, directors, accountants, cashiers of parastatals, agencies, ministries and area councils were sent on compulsory leave.
The 15 lawmakers also announced the suspension of the other five members for their roles in the purported impeachment.
In reaction to the petition before it, the House of Representatives set up a 10-man fact-finding committee to visit Kogi State and gather relevant facts, with a view to resolving the lingering impasse in the House of Assembly.
The 10-man delegation, led by the deputy chief whip of the House of Representatives, Pally Iriase, arrived the state on Thursday, February 25, 2016 to interface with relevant parties on the lingering crisis.
The delegation met with Governor Yahaya Bello, the commissioner of police, Kogi State command, the state director of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) and the 15 lawmakers.
Receiving the delegation at the Government House, Governor Bello promised to cooperate with the team in their efforts to restore peace at the state House of Assembly.
He said the amicable resolution of the crisis would go a long way in restoring confidence, hope and unity required for the rapid growth of the state.
He assured that he would meet with the lawmakers on the need for the executive and the legislature to work together in the interest of peace and the people.
He told the delegation that he had no hands in the crisis, adding that the state Assembly was already bedevilled with crisis before he assumed office as governor.
Meanwhile, the five lawmakers who purportedly impeached the Momoh Jimoh Lawal-led leadership, however, failed to appear before the House of Representatives committee.
It was learnt that the five lawmakers had gone to the Federal High Court in Lokoja to obtain an injunction to stop the House of Representatives committee from intervening in the crisis.
Addressing journalists after its closed door meeting with the 15 lawmakers, leader of the delegation, Pally Iriase, said they had been better informed on the crisis through oral and documentary evidences.
He described as unfortunate, the refusal of the five lawmakers to appear before the delegation.
“I think their absence is an unfortunate development, in the sense that you don’t go on air and say you are in court and that is why you will not make yourself available for a process that had started before you ran to court.
“More so, we are taking our leverage from the constitution. The constitution empowers us to do what we are doing now. So it is unfortunate for them if they decided not to make themselves available for this harmless mission to gather information about what truly is going on,” Iriase said.
He said that based on its interactions with the governor, the police, the DSS and the 15 lawmakers on the crisis, his committee would study its findings and make recommendations to the House of Representatives.
Political observers are watching to see if the recent intervention by the House of Representatives would bring an end to the lingering leadership tussle rocking the Kogi State House of Assembly.
Credit: Daily Trust
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