By Julius Atabor.
Last week, the sixth Kogi House of Assembly clocked 1, 095 days (3years) in the legislative business of the confluence state . The expectation of the electorates was that the new Assembly will introduce pragmatic and proactive measures to make laws that will improve on the welfare of the people that will engender good governance in the state.But this later turned to a mirage as the Assembly has metaphorically turned to ‘House of Commotion’ due to horse trading,political brigandage and endless violence.
Although the House took off with Momoh Jimoh Lawal PDP.as Speaker on the 4th of June , 2015 , he hardly settled down before the crisis to topple him erupted.
The crisis for leadership change actually started by the former governor Captain Idris Wada which dovetails into the nascent government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello which took off on a shaky note on the 27th January, 2016.
Bello, who hails from Okene local government area of the central senatorial districts of the state found it a political inconvenience for the then Speaker Momoh Jimoh Lawal also from Okene local government to hold on to his office.
The new administration in the state had begun in earnest to shop for a member with the proverbial thick skin to handle the removal of the Speaker. The member representing Igala Mela/ Odolu state constituency Hon. Friday Sani already romancing with Governor Yahaya Bello,who gave him the requisite wherewithal to prosecute the infamy war of the leadership change.
Friday Sani a PDP stalwart has to lead other four members to kick-start the impeachment.
The House had 25 members at the time of the crisis , five of whom were pursuing their cases at the courts leaving 20 substantive members for the battle of Lawal’s removal. Fifteen members stood firmly with the embattled speaker, while five members led by Friday Sani backed by the executive wanted Umar Imam at all cost. The battle paralyzed legislative business, but after much horse-trading and political scheming, Hon.Umar Imam an APC member from Lokoja 1 emerged as the second Speaker in less than six months of the sixth legislature.
Following Imam’s victory, the House was set for massive decamping from PDP to the APC the ruling party in the state.
On the 3rd of March 2017, the PDP which have comfortable majority was balkanized as six of its members , John Abah Ibaji LGA, Adoke Bello Adavi LGA, Ahmed Mohammed Ankpa 1 others were Victor Omofaiye Ijumu, Idris Ndakwo, Lokoja 11 and the erstwhile Majority Leader Matthew Kolawole moved to the APC . The defection ultimately transmuted PDP to the minority and opposition in the House.
Ironically, Friday Sani ,who did the yeoman job in ensuring that five members have their ways against the 20 Members to install Ahmed Umar Imam was to taste the bitter pill of the arrogance of powers when he was suspended indefinitely.
Trouble started when the embattled self-styled Mr. Fix Friday Sani on the 27th March, 2017 filed a suit at the state High Court Lokoja seeking to declare null and void the Imam led principal officers of the House.
He earned suspension from the House less than 48hours after he filed the action at the court.Sani got a reprieve as his suspension was set aside by the State High Court, however the police had wittingly arranged security details to escort him to resume at his duty post.
The entire Assembly premises was soon surrounded by stern looking policemen and thugs dishing out commands for their members to man strategic locations. The presence of the then Commissioner of Police Wilson Inalegwu and his men could not deter the thugs from unleashing mayhem on the Assembly.
After the disruption of the legislative proceeding on August 1st, 2017, the thugs swiftly descended on Hon. Friday Sani, but was saved from being lynched by the new Deputy Speaker Hassan Abdullahi Bewa of Dekina Okura Constituency.
However, at a press briefing, the state’s Police Command said ten persons who were fished out from houses of some members were arrested in connection with the mayhem.
At this time the support the executive had for the Imam- led principal officers had waned following the loss of confidence in his style of governance. Imam had started exhibiting his independence. He would not agree with the executive on issues hook line and sinker. He would disagree on most issues brought before the House from the Executive. He could no longer be manipulated. He has suddenly realized the need to defend the integrity of the House. The establishment was no longer comfortable with him. He needed to be offloaded.
One year and one week into his speakership, the conspiracy was too thick for him to survive the impeachment.
The protracted crisis in Kogi state House of Assembly has finally claimed the embattled speaker Rt Hon.Umar Iman APC ( Lokoja 1constituency ) who in a makeshift decoy resigned for the former Majority leader and member representing Kabba/Bunu constituency Rt. Hon. Matthew Kolawole as the new speaker of the troubled Assembly.
Also in the new shake-up, the beneficiaries were , Bello Hassan Balogun APC Ajaokuta, became the new Majority Leader, while Victor Omofaiye APC Ijumu was elected Chief whip.
Regrettably, with the House fallen under the grips of the three musketeers: Matthew Kolawole Kabba / Bunu as Speaker , Hassan Bello Abdullahi of Ajaokuta as Majority leader, and Ahmed Mohammed Ankpa 1 Deputy Majority Leader, the House has already been consigned for extinction in the people’s courts.
We learned that a deal was allegedly struck between the Speaker Kolawole and the Ministry of Local Government has approved multi-million naira for the tour of the Federal Constituencies which has become subject of controversy with the members.
Analysts posited that the sixth Assembly has become a burden to the state. They posited that the members were just an appendage of the Executive. Members no longer churn out bills and motions that have to bear on the people. Analysts are however advocating for the shutting down of the Assembly.
Speaking to journalists after the end of the special session to mark three anniversary, last Friday, the chairman of the state’s Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, Comrade Onuh Edoka , berated the legislators for not pointing out to the governor, the plights of state workers who have not received salaries for months.
He stated that the present House of Assembly members have betrayed the trust of their constituency while charging workers not to hesitate to vote out incompetent politicians.
