Kogi Assembly lambasts sanctioned members

Kogi State House of Assembly has said the three impeached and suspended members were among those whose stock-in-trade was to cause disharmony between the executive and legislative arms of government as well as among members of the house.

The House’s position followed the discovery that the suspended lawmakers allegedly forged members’ signatures in what has been described as an evil machination to impeach the Speaker.

The former Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Mohammed; former Majority Leader, Abdullahi Bello and former Chief Whip, Moses Ododo, who was sanctioned last week, released a statement which claimed to have impeached the speaker by a notice signed by 19 members.

Consequently, the Assembly, during plenary, yesterday, ordered its Committee of Ethics and Privileges to commence investigation into the alleged forgery, as members whose signatures were found in the documents denied ever signing any impeachment notice against the Speaker, Matthew Kolawole.

Members, who spoke on the issue, maintained that they, at no time, signed any impeachment notice, explaining that the signatures attached to the purported impeachment notice were for the endorsement of the presidential aspiration of Governor Yahaya Bello.

They accused the former deputy speaker of betrayal of trust, pointing out that the signatures collected to serve as attachments to the communiqué endorsing Bello’s presidential bid were maliciously used to further his plan of removing the Speaker.

Though the members in question are already on suspension, the lawmakers said the issue should be thoroughly investigated and appropriate punishment meted out on them to serve as a deterrent.

The House members described the actions of the former principal officers as shameful and reprehensible while demanding unreserved apologies from them.

Before hitting the gavel, the Speaker described the action of the three suspended members as a gross violation of the House rules and privileges and directed the Chairman, Committee on Ethics and Privileges to do a diligent investigation on the matter by giving the accused members fair hearing and report back to the house.

No deadline was given for the submission of the report.

He also thanked the members for believing in him, promising that the House under his leadership would continue to work harmoniously with the executive to provide the much-needed dividends of democracy to the people.