Benue Assembly suspends 13 members for dishonourable acts

The Benue House of Assembly has suspended 13 members of the house from legislative duties due to dishonorable acts.

The suspension followed a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Mr. Saater Tiseer, during plenary on Wednesday in Makurdi.

The majority leader stated that the assembly, like any other legislature, was a hallowed assembly of honorable personalities.

He said that 31 members of the house on Tuesday received a complaint from the office of the attorney-general of the state.

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Tisseer said the complaint detailed allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, bribery and corruption and other sundry allegations against Justice Maurice Ikpambese, the Chief Judge (CJ) of the state.

He informed the house that after exhaustive deliberations, the house went into division.

“Thereafter, 23 out of the 31 members present voted in support of the recommendation to remove
Ikpambese as the Chief Judge of the state, while the next-in-line judicial officer should be sworn in as the acting Chief Judge of the state,” he said.

He said that after the house adopted resolutions on the matter, the 13 members, some of whom voted in support of the recommendations dissociated themselves from the legislative process.

According to him, the action of the 13 members contravened the Standing Order 9, Rule 58 (6) of the house.

The rule, he said, provided that it shall be out of order to attempt to reconsider any specific question upon which the house had concluded during the current session except upon a substantive motion for rescission.

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He said that the actions of the members were not only dishonourable but also an afterthought and a deceptive posture capable of causing acrimony and casting aspersions on the house.

He listed the names of the suspended members to include Mr Douglas Akya (APC/Makurdi South), Mr Jonanthan Agbidye (APC/Katsina-Ala East).

Mrs. Beckie Orpin (APC/Gboko East), Mr Simon Gabo (APC/Mata), and Mr William Ortyom (PDP/Agasha).

Others are Mr. Emmanuel Onah (PDP/Oju I), Mr Elias Audu (APC/Gwer East), Mr Anyor Matu (APC/Kwande East), Mr Manger Manger (APC/Tarka), Mr. Solomon Gyila (APC/Gwer West), Mr Samuel Agada (APC/Ogbadibo), Mr Abraham Jabi (APC/Buruku) and Mr Ezra Nyiyongo (APC/Ukum).

The seconder of the motion, Mr Peter Ipusu (APC/Katsina-Ala West), said that what their colleagues did was outright mischief because they attended and participated actively in the debate.

Ipusu added that they voted in favour of the recommendations that the CJ be removed and want to deny their active participation in the matter.

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He suggested that the suspended members should refund the money given to them for a foreign trip by the Ministry of Finance, as they would not be traveling with them.

Meanwhile, Mr. Alfred Berger (APC/Makurdi North) said that their colleagues have disparaged the Speaker, Mr Hyacinth Dajoh, and the house.

He said that before their suspension could be lifted, they should publicly declare that they participated in the legislative process.

Also, Mr. Thomas Dugeri (APC/Kwande West), pleaded that the suspension be reduced to one month.