Edo factional lawmakers meet, condemn ‘destruction’ of assembly complex – Vanguard
By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – TWENTY-FOUR hours after the Edo State house of assembly headed by Hon Frank Okiye met and denounced the meeting of 17 lawmakers where a parallel speaker, Hon Victor Edoror was elected, the seventeen lawmakers met yesterday where they condemned what they termed deliberate destruction of the Anthony Enahoro Complex of the state assembly which Okiye said is undergoing emergency repair works.
It would be recalled the complex went through a comprehensive reconstruction work in 2018 when Hin Kabiru Adjoto was speaker of the house.
The seventeen lawmakers who met in an undisclosed hall in GRA also called on security agencies to evacuate hoodlums from the complex in order to create a conducive atmosphere.
The sitting was conducted with roll call of members being taken before the business of the day began.
The factional Speaker, Edoror at the sitting said it is sad that the hollow cambers of the Edo State House of Assembly has been desecrated upon with hoodlums taking over the complex thereby making unsafe for members to sit.
Parts of their resolution which was also received through a whatsapp from one of the members said the members also resolved that the police to chase all those occupying the assembly.
They also mandated the AIG, Zone 5, Final Yakadi, Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, state Director, Department of State Security and order relevant security agencies to evacuate the hoodlums as they have turned the assembly into a Dean of Indian Hemp smoking, defecation.
Edoror was quoted to have said that: “The state government under the guise of consolidated renovation has destroyed the roof of the building, making the place inhabitable to the extent that the hallow chambers have been messed up and valuables carted away.
“We hereby asked the state government to desist from such act of vandalism of the building.
“The relevant Security agencies, AIG, zone 5, Commissioner of Police, DSS are hereby mandated to evacuate the hoodlums before they turn the state and the assembly premises into a lawless state”.
The member said they also received three petitions brought before it through the law firm of Ehiogie West-Idahosa Law Chamber, signed by Emos Osawaru over what he described as unlawful removal of the Chairmen of Etsako East, Oremiyu Momoh A Esan West, Patrick Aguinede and Etsako West, Yakubu Musah.
According to him, “The petition described the removal of the three elected council chairmen as an infringement of their fundamental human rights and abuse of office and political victimisation on the part of Governor Obaseki
“The Speaker, haven listen to the content of the letter, set up a five-man committee to investigate the matter and report back to the house within two weeks before adjourning to Tuesday, August 18, 2020.’
He said the Member, representing Uhumwonde state Constituency, Washington Osifo is to chair the Committee.
Other members are Ebenezer Okaka, Owan East; Nosayaba Okunbor, Orhiomwon East; Dumez Ugiagbe; and Christopher Okaeben, Oredo East.
