The Edo State House of Assembly on Wednesday impeached the Deputy Speaker, Festus Ebea, for alleged misconduct and misdemeanour.
The 15 lawmakers, including the Speaker of the House, Uyi Igbe, endorsed the impeachment when it held a plenary at an old chamber, located in the Government House in Benin.
While moving the motion for the impeachment, a member of the House, Folly Ogedengbe, representing Owan East I, noted that the suspended Deputy Speaker was bound to be impeached, citing Section 92(2C) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 72, Rule 19 of the Assembly.
The lawmakers also elected a new Deputy Speaker, Victor Edoror, who took the oath of office immediately.
The House explained that it had to hold sitting at the old chamber, following ongoing renovation in the chambers, located at the Anthony Enahoro Assembly Complex. This, he linked to the possible forceful entry by the Deputy Speaker and some aides.
“This renovation work going on there was caused by the fact that the former Deputy Speaker and a group of aides forcibly entered the place and destroyed doors and windows.
“Of course, we had to repair them and put them back to shape,” Igbe said.
The Speaker also disclosed that that it would take a couple of weeks for repair works to be completed.
The Speaker said, “So, rather than sitting at home doing only oversight functions, I think the idea is that we should have somewhere to do plenary.”
He said that there were lots of reports in the House waiting to be attended to.
Also commenting, a member of the House, representing Etsako Central, Johnson Oghuma, who said that the Assembly was a civilised and law-abiding House, noted that it was disheartening that a member of the House could not obey a court order.
“If somebody, who call himself a lawmaker in a state, will not obey court order; it is disheartening.
“We cannot make law and yet refused to obey the law that we make,” Oghuma said.
The House adjourned sitting to July 7, saying that it would resume plenary in the old chamber. – Punch.
