Kogi crisis: House of Representatives sends 10 man team
– The crisis which has engulfed the Kogi State House of Assembly after the impeachment of the speaker remains ongoing.
– A House of Representatives delegation will be dispatched to try and solve the political impasse.
– The news comes after Kogi state governo Abubakar Sani Bello appointed several people to key posts in the state.
The House of Representatives has waded into the crisis rocking the Kogi State House of Assembly.
A 10-man panel had been mandated to investigate the removal of speaker Momoh Jimoh Lawal, his deputy Aliyu Akuh, and the majority leader Kolawole Matthew.
This came as the embattled Speaker and 14 of his supporters in the 20 member Kogi State House of Assembly stormed the National Assembly (NASS) and accused the executive of instigating the ongoing crisis.
READ ALSO: NASS may take over Kogi assembly
Kogi state police recently surrounded the assembly house, forcing workers out and barring members of the public from entering.
The panel of investigators is headed by the deputy majority whip Pally Iriase, the All Progressives Congress member for Owan, and the panel is expected to report back to the house within one week.
This was the sequel to a motion on matters of national importance sponsored by Sunday Karimi, the Peoples Democratic Party member for Kogi.
Lawmaker Karimi is furious about the ongoing Kogi crisis
Karimi, while moving the motion, argued that what happened in the Kogi House of Assembly was illegal.
“The constitution stipulates that the speaker or deputy speaker of to the state assembly shall vacate office if he is removed from office by a resolution of the House of Assembly by the votes of not less than two-third majority of the members,” Karaimi said.
“In Kogi state, there are a total number of 25 members of the State House of Assembly, but five of them had their elections nullified at the court of Appeal and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC is yet to conduct a fresh election in the state constituencies.
“Accordingly, only 20 members are currently validly elected in the House of Assembly and two-thirds of 20 is at least 13 members.”
Governor Bello has been accused of trying to increase his control over Kogi state
He went on to accuse the Kogi state governor Abubakar Sani Bello of seeking to remove Jimoh Lawal and appoint his own choice as speaker instead.
The Speaker while constituting the committee gave members a week, to report back to the House in a bid to avert a constitutional crisis.
The aggrieved Kogi lawmakers involved in storming NASS claimed Governor Bello played a pivotal role in the removal of the speaker.
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The news comes after Governor Bello appointed several new key advisers in various posts, including a new secretary to the state government.
Bello also appointed a new accountant-general and several junior advisers on media and electronic issues, in move seen as increasing his hold on the state.
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