Reps order IGP to reseal Kogi assembly

Urge gov to present budget, bills to NASS

In a bid to ensure strict adherence to the rule of law, the House of Representatives yesterday, ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase, to immediately re-seal the Kogi State House of Assembly.

The decision followed the adoption of the report submitted by the Femi Gbajabiamila-led ad-hoc committee.

The committee had probed into alleged disobedience of the IGP and Justice Minister and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, in relation to its earlier order directing that the assembly be sealed-off.

At the plenary, presided over by the deputy speaker, Suleiman Yusuf Lasun, the lawmakers ordered among others, that Malami immediately withdraws his letter and advice to the IGP and be reprimanded for undermining authority of the legislature.

Urging the Attorney General to proceed to court, if he has any issue with the resolution of the National Assembly on this matter or any matter in the future, they directed the IGP to immediately reseal the assembly pending the resolution of the crisis.

The house declared that all resolutions, laws and actions taken by the assembly, from the date of its resolution remain null and void.

It also directed the state governor Yahaya Bello, to immediately send his budget and other executive bills to the National Assembly for consideration, as stipulated in section 11 of the constitution.

Before the report was considered during the committee of the whole of the House, Gbajabiamila previewed the excuses advanced by both Malawi and Arase for disobeying the joint resolution of the National Assembly, maintaining that the duo erred in law to have reopened the Kogi assembly.

Gbajiabiamila, who is also the house majority leader made copious references to legal and legislative authorities noted: “The committee finds it ironic that the AG now seeks to do that which he condemned in his letter, by determining the constitutionality of the resolution of the National Assembly.”

The house report noted that, the IGP acted in bad faith by reversing and disobeying the directives of the national assembly.