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Tag: Kogi Assembly

  • Kogi Assembly: Torn apart by strife

    Kogi Assembly: Torn apart by strife

    The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ruled that Hon. Momohjimoh Lawal is the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly. following the verdict, members of the G-15 appear to have gained an upper hand in the unending crisis rocking the legislature. But, the G-5 group, led by Hon. Umar Imam, has resolved to fight to finish. JAMES AZANIA examines the rift between the two groups and its implication for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    THE two factions in the Kogi State House of Assembly crisis are not ready to bury the hatchet. This indication emerged less than 48 hours after the lawmakers loyal to Hon. Momohjimoh Lawal, otherwise known as the G-15, secured a victory via a court judgment that duly recognised his authority as the Speaker.

    Spurred by the judgment, the lawmakers headed back to the court, two days later, to upturn some of the decisions of the Umar Imam-led G-5 faction, particularly the suspension of 10 of their members. The lawmakers also dragged Governor Yahaya Bello and the G-5 members before the court over the 2016 Appropriation Bill, which was signed into law in their absence.

    Observers of recent political events in the Confluence State said this is a pointer to the fact that there is no respite in sight for the governor. Thirteen members of the assembly has dragged him and members of the G-5 group before the Federal High Court, Lokoja, over the passage and assent to the Kogi 2016 budget.

    The suit filed by the reinstated Speaker and 12 others against Imam and 15 other respondents, also asked the court to declare that the governor’s assent to the appropriation bill is illegal, null and void.

    Counsel to the plaintiffs, S. I. Ibrahim Esq. who filed the suit on May 17, 2016 on their behalf, sought to determine whether, “having regard to the exercise of the power of the National Assembly taking over the functions of the state House of Assembly pursuant to Section 11 (4) of the Constitution, the Kogi State House of Assembly could carry on any legislative bill and granting approval for accessing bailout fund or exercise any legislative powers however described during the pendency of the said National Assembly resolution”.

    The lawmakers further sought the relief of the court to declare that only the National Assembly can legitimately legislate for the Kogi State House of Assembly pursuant to the takeover order on March 16, 2016. Among other reliefs, is a declaration by the court that the Kogi State House of Assembly Appropriation Law 2016 is illegal, null and void having been passed in violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    Joined in the suit are the Attorney-General of the Federation, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Accountant General of Kogi State and Clerk of the Kogi State House of Assembly.

    The National Assembly had ordered all pending legislative activities, including the 2016 budget, to be forwarded before it for deliberation. Hearing has been fixed for June 21, 2016.

    Last week, however, the G-15 members, including Speaker Lawal, convened sitting after months of being shutout and relocation from the state. Members of the group, it was learnt, took their time to serve the court judgment at the state and national levels, before making their move, as they came fully prepared, together with the mace-bearing Sergeant-at-arms.

    The judgment followed a suit, which the removed the Speaker, his deputy, seven other lawmakers and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), filed before the court through their lawyer, Mr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN).

    The five G-5 lawmakers, which effected the purported impeachment, were cited as the first to fifth defendants in the matter. Some security agencies and the Kogi State House of Assembly were also cited as defendants.

    They asked the court to determine whether in view of provisions of the 1999 Constitution and Rules 3(1) & (2) of the Standing Rules of Kogi State House of Assembly, dated February 15, 2016, their removal was not unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.

    The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, in a judgment delivered by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, reinstated the impeached Speaker. It equally restored the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Aliyu Akuh, and seven other principal officers of the assembly, saying the process that led to their purported impeachment on February 16, 2016, was unconstitutional and illegal.

    In a two-hour judgment, it said that their removal was not in line with provisions of Sections 90, 91, 92 (2) (c), 95 (1) & (2) and 96 (1) & (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

    Consequently, the court voided the purported election of Imam as Speaker, as well as the emergence of four others — Friday Sani; Lawal A.T. Ahmed; Bello Abdullahi; and John Abah — as principal officers of the House.

    Aside the Speaker and his deputy, others reinstated by the court include Hon. Kolawole Mathew, Osuyi Godwin, Sunday Shigaba, Ndako Idris, Oluwatoyin Lawal, Musa Jimoh and Victor Omofaye.

    Specifically, the court held that “the continued sitting and conduct of the affairs of the Kogi State House of Assembly by the first to fifth defendants after the purported removal of the first plaintiff and other principal officers of the House and purported installation of themselves as principal officers of the Kogi State House of Assembly on February 16, 2016, is illegal having regard to Section 96 (1) of the Constitution and Rule 5 (1)”.

    Besides, it restrained the Inspector General of Police, Director General of the State Security Service, the Commandant of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps, who were the seventh and eighth defendants in the suit, “from further barricading the complex of the House of Assembly and preventing the plaintiffs from accessing the hallowed chambers if the Kogi State House of Assembly to conduct their legal and legitimate duties as legislators validly elected to represent their various constituencies”.

    The court, however, declined to declare that the security agencies, by their actions, aided and abetted the five lawmakers to carry out the purported impeachment, as well as the subsequent withdrawal of the Speaker’s vehicles (official and personal) and the withdrawal of security operatives attached to the embattled Speaker. It also refused to award general damages in the sum of N500 million.

    Following the judgment, individuals, groups, organisations and concerned stakeholders took positions on the path they considered best to thread, to restore order to the Kogi legislative arm.

    The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on the one hand tasked Governor Bello to make moves for the resolution of the crisis rocking the House of Assembly and ensure unity among the members. It charged the governor to mend fences with the political class in the state, particularly the All Progressives Congress (APC), so that the state would be properly positioned for the APC’s change mantra.

    Speaking in Lokoja, the state capital, IPAC Chairman Ibrahim Itodo said the court judgment that nullified Lawal’s impeachment had given room for the governor to bring the two factions together.

    Itodo condemned the activities of the G-5 that carried out the purported impeachment, saying it was obvious that five could not be more than 15 and that the judgment had rendered the decisions taken by the G-5 null and void.

    The IPAC Chairman added: “We are using this channel to demand that all the bills passed from the inception of this administration by the minority members of the House of Assembly should be declared null and void, until the House of Assembly is one house for the unity and progress of the state. Emphatically to redress the ugly trend, we are urging Governor Yahaya Bello to make all efforts to unite the House and resolve the impasse for accelerated development, because this is a test of his leadership quality and capacity to be tracked”.

    Itodo said after carefully observing the leadership style of the governor, that there was more to be done by him to achieve unity. He added: “If Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration wants to unite Kogi people, the questions are; how many supporters of Audu/Faleke faction were given appointment in this administration? How many political parties are carried along? Many groups such as civil society organisations, such as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), have been sidelined by this administration”.

    On his part, the Executive Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), Lokoja, Idris Miliki Abdul, called on members of the fractious assembly to respect the ruling of the Federal High Court upholding Lawal as Speaker. He admonished all concerned to allow peace reign in Kogi.

    Abdul said that the decision of the court has vindicated their position that what went on since then at the assembly, including the passage of the state’s 2016 appropriation bill, were illegal and unconstitutional. He said: “We wondered where the group of five derived its authority to conduct that illegal action on February 16, 2016. And more disturbing, was the shadow activities by the state executive led by the governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, in identifying with the illegal activities of the five honourable members and claim to the whole world that there was no crisis in the assembly.”

    The CHRCR director called on all affected persons and organs of the state to respect the rule of law and obey the court pronouncement on the matter. He added: “Now that an Abuja Federal High Court of competent jurisdiction has ruled that the purported impeachment of February 16, 2016, is null and void and of no effect, and that the principal officers purported to have been impeached, including the Speaker, Hon. Momohjimoh Lawal, is illegal, we therefore call on the Kogi State Assembly to respect the court ruling and return to the pre February 16, 2016 status quo and continue with the legitimate business of the assembly in the interest of rule of law, good governance and democracy.

    “We call on the state executive led by Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to respect and abide this court ruling and let peace reign in the interest of justice, fairness, democratic principles and separation of power, and to restore all privileges and entitlements that were denied to the Kogi State House of Assembly members without further delay.”

    On the day of their convening, there was heavy presence of security operatives, right from the main entrance to the assembly complex. When they arrived the complex, to commence plenary, the G-15 members found the gate locked.

    After verbal altercations between them and the security agents, the main gate and chamber door were forced open to enable them begin the business of the day. The security agents tried to prevent the lawmakers, but they stood their ground, with some of them started shouting, “kill us now, kill us now, kill us now”, as they moved towards the hallowed chamber where they sat briefly and conducted legislative duty.

    It was gathered that the assembly staff who had earlier reported for the day’s work were instructed to leave. They were said to have hurriedly locked their offices when information filtered in that the G-15 members were on their way to resume.

    At the plenary, Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Sunday Shigaba, moved the motion for the lifting of the purported suspension of 10 members by the G-5 and called for the extension of hands of fellowship to those member on the other side of the divide. It was seconded by Hon. Ade Omofaye, who represents Ijumu Constituency.

    Lawal commended the gallantry and selfless sacrifice of every member “who in the face of all the challenges stood against injustices and anti democratic tendencies at was at play”. He said: “Our struggle for the entrenchment of democracy in Kogi State has paid off with the judicial pronouncement made on Thursday May 19, 2016 . Permit me to commend the judiciary for standing by the truth.”

    A motion for adjournment, was moved by the Majority Leader, Hon. Mathew Kolawole, and seconded by Hon. Linus Eneche. While the plenary session was in progress, a detachment of policemen led by the State Commissioner of Police (CP), Yakubu Usman, arrived the assembly complex.

    With the arrival of Usman, another round of argument ensued between him and the legislators, who maintained they were doing their legitimate duty as members of the Kogi State House of Assembly. The scene later became rowdy, as policemen began the arrest of those they described as thugs.

    The CP said later that he was informed that thugs had taken over the assembly complex, hence he reinforced the detachment of police to arrest the situation. The Directorate of State Security (DSS) boss who was also on the ground, said he was there to assess the situation in the complex.

    The Police Command said it arrested four suspected thugs at the assembly complex. Parading them at Command headquarters Lokoja, Usman said he got a distress call that thugs have invaded the Kogi House of Assembly.

    The suspect’s however protested vehemently, with one of them, Abdullahi Yakubu, insisting that he is the personal assistant to Hon. Idris Ndakwo, a member of the assembly who represents Lokoja II Constituency, saying they were picked at Crusher Village where his principal parked his car.

    The factional Majority Leader, Hon. Friday Sani, however holds a contrary view. The lawmaker, in a radio programme monitored in Lokoja, described the actions of the G-15 members as illegal.

    Observers say there is no end is no in sight yet in the Kogi assembly crisis. One of such observers who pleaded for anonymity, said experience has shown that political issues like the one in Kogi do not disappear easily or resolved through adjudication.

    He said: “Kogi is not the first place this is happening and it will not be last. We witnessed this kind of scenario in Ekiti, and Governor Ayodele Fayose’s tenure outlived the lawmakers’. They also tried it with former Governor Gbenga Daniel. How then do you think ours will be different, when in time past, even those in your so-called G-15 benefited from the type of impunity that is now haunting then.”

     

  • Respect court ruling, activist tells Kogi assembly

    Respect court ruling, activist tells Kogi assembly

    The Executive Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), Lokoja, Kogi State, Idris Miliki Abdul has called on members of the fractious Kogi State House of Assembly to respect Thursday’s ruling of the Federal High Court Abuja upholding Hon. Momohjimoh Lawal as speaker.

    He admonished all those concerned to allow peace reign in Kogi.

    Crisis engulfed the Kogi legislative arm following Lawal’s purported impeachment on February 16, by five members, and their subsequent proclaimation of Umar Imam as speaker.

    Idris said that the decision of the court has vindicated their position that what went on since then at the assembly, including the passage of the state’s 2016 appropriation bill were illegal and unconstitutional, saying, “We wondered where the group of five derived its authority to conduct that illegal action on the 16th of February 2016. And more disturbing, was the shadow activities by the state executive led by the governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, in identifying with the illegal activities of the five honourable members and claim to the whole world that there was no crisis in the assembly”.

    He called on all affected persons and organs of the state to respect the rule of law and obey the court pronouncement on the matter.

    He added: “Now that an Abuja Federal High Court of competent jurisdiction has ruled that the purported impeachment of 16th February 2016, is null and void and of no effect, and that the principal offices purported to have been impeached including the speaker, Hon. Momohjimoh Lawal, is illegal, we therefore call on the Kogi State Assembly to respect the court ruling and return to the pre 16th February 2016 status quo and continue with the legitimate business of the assembly in the interest of rule of law, good governance and democracy.

    “We call on the state executive led by Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to respect and abide this court ruling and let peace reign in the interest of justice, fairness, democratic principles and separation of power, and to restore all privileges and entitlements that were denied to the Kogi State house of assembly members without further delay”.

     

  • No end in sight to Kogi Assembly crisis

    No end in sight to Kogi Assembly crisis

    More than four months after it reared its head, there is no end in sight to the crisis rocking the Kogi State House of Assembly. Moves by stakeholders and the National Assembly to resolve the impasse have proved abortive. JAMES AZANIA revisits the protracted crisis and its implications for the state.

    THE unfolding development in the Kogi State House of Assembly is becoming intriguing by the day. Five out of the 20 members of the House had purportedly impeached the Speaker, Momohjimoh Lawal, and installed Imam Umar in his place. Thus, the G-5, as the group is called, may have ambushed the task of lawmaking in the Confluence State; the Umar-led faction has purportedly passed the 2016 Appropriation Bill. Ordinarily, the Kogi State House of Assembly has 25 members, but as at the time Lawal was purportedly impeached, it had 20 members, owing to the sacking of five lawmakers by the court.

    While the G-5 faction has continued to manouvre its way, by convening sittings in defiance of the order by the National Assembly for the sealing of the House of Assembly complex, no one is in doubt that things have gone awry with the legislative arm. This is in spite of the fact that the G-15 faction, led by the embattled Speaker Lawal, appears to have evaporated from the scene.

    The House of Representatives, after it sent a 10-man investigative panel chaired by the Deputy Whip, Hon. Pally Iriase, to the state, pronounced the action of the G-5 illegal and resolved to take over legislative functions in line with the law. Against this background, it asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, to seal the complex. The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, had also voiced his opinion on the matter, by questioning the propriety of the NASS order.

    Malami’s intervention opened another vista in the imbroglio. The Attorney-General called on the IGP to unseal the House of Assembly complex, following the initial, albeit belated shutting of the complex on the directive of the NASS.

    Malami, in a legal opinion addressed to Arase, said mere legislative misunderstanding between the legislators is not the major crisis envisaged by the constitution to justify the action taken by the National Assembly. He said all legal avenues must be exhausted in an issue involving impeachment, adding that the National Assembly is to act in advisory capacity in the matter since the issue does not directly affect the security of the state and does not amount to a state of emergency.

    The Attorney General in a response, following a request for legal advice by the IGP in a letter: No 3383/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.40/779, dated March 18, 2016 averred that the situation in the state did not warrant the order for the sealing of the assembly complex.He stated that after careful reading of the situation envisaged under Section 11(4), which can give rise to a “take-over”, the decision by the National Assembly reveals that it must be by “reason of the situation prevailing in the state”.

    Section 11(4) invoked by the House of Reps, states inter alia: “At any time when any House of Assembly of a state is unable to perform its functions by reason of the situation prevailing in the state, the National Assembly may make such laws for the peace, order and good government of that state with respect to matters on which a House of Assembly may make laws as may appear to the National Assembly to be necessary or expedient until such time as the House of Assembly is able to resume its functions; and any such laws enacted by the National Assembly pursuant to this section shall have effect as if they were laws enacted by the House of Assembly of the state.”

    The federal lawmakers had explained while giving the order for the sealing of the complex: “In view of the fact that the Constitution clearly required National Assembly to do the taking over, this resolution of the House was not respected by the factions, which still sat, especially the G-5, which claimed it is in court.”

    But, the Attorney-General differed, arguing: “The conditions must go beyond the situation prevailing within the House of Assembly itself. The Constitution, in my opinion, presumes that the general security situation in the state should have deteriorated to the extent that the House of Assembly finds it difficult or impossible to operate or exercise its normal legislative activities. Section 11(4) is therefore, not meant to address mere issues of disagreement between legislators within the State House of Assembly, since it is recognised that such disagreements or disputes are normal incidences within the democratic governance space. The 1999 Constitution therefore never presumed that every disagreement within a state legislature would be visited with the sanction of National Assembly legislative oversight.

    “It is instructive to note that section 11(4) is part of the General Section 11 of the Constitution which is titled, ‘Public Order and Public Security’. It must therefore be read within such a context and not merely in relation to the situation within the House of Assembly.”

    Malami: “In view of the foregoing, the next question would be: Was there a security situation in Kogi State at the time in question which made it impossible for the State House of Assembly to exercise its legislative functions? From information available to me, it would appear that the answer to the question is no, as there was no such alarm raised by the relevant security agencies or by the Federal Government itself?

    ‘’Without prejudice to the above issues, it is further necessary to interrogate the legal status of a resolution of a house of the National Assembly. It is a notorious fact that parliamentary resolutions are merely persuasive and not binding in law… it lacks legal efficacy and cannot become the basis to compel executive action such as the present directive to the Nigeria Police Force to seal off the (Kogi) House of Assembly.

    “A close reading of Section 11(4) further suggests that if the National Assembly is expected to ‘make laws’ for the peace, order and good government of a state in crisis, it cannot make such laws on the basis of a resolution”.

    He said the view of the National Assembly that the alleged impeachment of the Speaker of the House of Assembly by ‘five members of the house’ was ‘null and void’ was like usurping the function of the judiciary.

    He said: “In view of the foregoing, I am of the considered opinion that sufficient legal basis has not been established for the consequent directive to the Inspector-General of Police by the House of Representatives to “seal the Kogi State House of Assembly complex until the matter is resolved.”

    While the Attorney General’s submission will either anger or elate the Kogi assembly members, depending on what side of the divide they belong, the twists have continued to elicit response from observers and residents of the state.

    The House of Representatives had, on February 23, passed a resolution describing the action of the five legislators of the state assembly as “unconstitutional, null and void”.

    The Inspector General of Police appeared not in a hurry to obey the directive of the House of Representatives, but the Senate added its voice, the police complied and sealed the Kogi assembly complex on March 30. It was subsequently reopened, on the strength of Malami’s legal opinion.

    Speaking when he appeared before the lawmakers, Arase appeared tempered in his role of approbating and reprobating on the Kogi assembly matter. Residents of the state who are directly affected by the assembly impasse have been quite unequivocal on the issue and have continued to make their position known.

    For instance, Idris Miliki Abdul, the Executive Director, Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), Lokoja, is in support of the National Assembly’s directive for the sealing of the assembly. He said: “I support 100 per cent the taking over of the Kogi State House of Assembly. Reason is the fact that what took place on the February 16 where five members broke into the assembly, deprived the media who are the mirror of the society from observing the proceedings and procedure and came out to proclaim that Speaker Lawal had been impeached and that they have now elected Hon. Umar Imam as the new speaker. As at that time we had 20 members; and for you to be able to form a quorum to either impeach or elect principal officers you need two-third of the entire members of the assembly.

    “So, the fact that five persons do not amount to two-thirds makes the exercise null and void and therefore has no legal effect. The state assembly is a creation of the law and is expected to make laws for the citizens of the state and therefore cannot be seen to be violating the provisions of the Constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “On the legal opinion sought for by the Inspector General of Police, it was not even necessary in the first instance, as the National Assembly is a creation of the law and has followed all the due process to come up with the position. Remember the same National Assembly (House of Representatives) relied on the petition by the G-15 in the Kogi State House of Assembly. There was a petition and the petition was discussed at the House of Representatives and a committee was set up to visit the state for fact finding. Unfortunately, the same group of five under the leadership of illegal speaker refused to meet or appear before the fact finding committee of the House of Representatives under the guise that they were before the court of law. Apart from the fact there is no court of law that can stop the National Assembly or the House of Assembly from performing its statutory function in respect to a petition or complain by Nigerians, therefore the non appearance of members of the G-5, to state their own side of the story made them liable to disobedience of constituted authority, in this case, the National Assembly.

    “Furthermore, on March 17, the Senate considered the resolution of the House of Representatives  and concurred, which was well publicised and communicated to the Inspector General of Police, so on what basis does he need legal opinion of the AG from carrying out the instruction, directive of the National Assembly? I’m the Attorney General/Minister of Justice, on what basis in the point of law will he tell us that the action taken by the House of five members on February 16, purportedly to have impeached the speaker. We therefore ask, is the advice of the Minister of Justice political or legal? The Attorney General/Minister of Justice cannot be seen to perpetrating illegality.

    “And, what is the definition of crisis? When we have five against 15, with the protection of the Kogi State executive arm, playing the role of a shadow party in the conflict the Kogi assembly in collaboration with the Nigeria Police, by giving protection to members in their illegal activities? We therefore submit or conclude that all the activities taken absolutely  by the five members since February 16 till date is null and void and cannot stand and therefore call on the relevant stakeholders to see to the amicable resolution of the crisis in the Kogi State House of Assembly as soon as possible”.

    A social commentator and an APC member from Yagba West, Mr. Dele Babalola, states that shutting the Kogi State House of Assembly complex will not do the state any good. His words: “The way I see it, shutting the House Assembly will be antithetical to this and not augur well for the development of the state.

    “The situation here does not call for the shutting of the House of Assembly, because there is no crisis in Kogi State. The Assembly is in session and this has further been reiterated by the intervention of the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, who rightly advised that the order be vacated. What we are witnessing here is the result of undue interference by outside forces in the smooth running of the legislative arm in Kogi State.”

     

  • Arase apologizes to Reps over Kogi Assembly closure

    The Inspector- General of the Police, Solomon Arase, on Thursday said he did not purposely ignore the directives of the House of Representatives to seal the Kogi State House of Assembly.

    Arase, who appeared before an Adhoc committee on the crisis headed by the Majority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila said what occurred was caused by misinformation.

    He said it was not in his character to disobey laid down rules, constituted authority and powers of the National Assembly.

    The IGP said after he had given the order for closure of the Assembly, he directed that some of the security personnel at the complex be redeployed since only skeletal services were taking place at the complex.

    He said: “One of the areas of disagreement was that we were not able to distinguish who were the members and who were the staff of the Assembly and we didn’t want to stop the staff from going inside the complex.

    “The day that they came to sit, it was an oversight. We shouldn’t have allowed them to do that.

    “I am one person that from my pedigree, I hold great respect for constituted authority. I wouldn’t have done anything deliberately to disobey the decision of this honorable House.

    “I am aware of the constitutional authority of this House and wouldn’t have done anything to offend you people in any way.”

    However, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, did not appear before the lawmakers. He sent his Special Assistant 1, Sylvester Imhanobe, to represent him.

  • Kogi Assembly: Police awaiting Malami’s advice

    Kogi Assembly: Police awaiting Malami’s advice

    The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase has said he is awaiting the advice of the Minister of Justice before carrying out the directive by the House of Representatives.

    The House of Representatives took over the functions of the Kogi House of Assembly due to its unresolved crisis.

    The House also ordered the police boss to seal off the Kogi Assembly since the House has been taken over.

    The Lower Chamber, which arrived at the decision in one of its plenary sessions, explained that its action was in line with the provision of Section 11 (4) of the 1999 Constitution, which says the National Assembly could take over the functions of any state assembly that is in crisis.

    The IGP,  however, said he sent the papers to the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, for legal advice and is awaiting the minister’s response.

    Arase disclosed this in Abuja yesterday during Police Walk Against Crime (PWAC).

    The walk was part of activities to celebrate the police week.

    On the order that the police should take over the Kogi State House of Assembly, the IGP said: “What I have done is to send the papers to the minister of justice so that he would be able to render an opinion.

    “I am a police officer but I also need the advice of a legal expert to actually know the way forward. So, once I get the minister’s response, I will be able to take a decision. So, I am waiting for the response of the Minister of Justice.”

    Speaking on the essence of the walk, Arase said: “The mental and physical health of the police officer determine the level of their alertness and preparedness to actually police the security space.

    “We are going to encourage this walk and maybe quarterly, all the Commands will be encouraged to come out and reach out to various communities where they are serving through this walk.

    “What we are trying to do is to reinvent the Nigeria police by reaching out to members of the society. It’s a way of making communities know that we cannot do it alone and that we need every member of the society to provide us with sufficient information and intelligence for us to deal with crime,” he explained.

    Those who participated in the walk include Kanu Nwankwo, Darey Art Alade, Charley Boy, Korede Bello, John Fashanu, Nuhu Ali and police officers.

  • Kogi assembly defy NASS, convene sitting

    Kogi assembly defy NASS, convene sitting

    The Kogi State House of Assembly may be heading for a clash with the National Assembly, as seven members loyal to factional speaker, Umar Imam, convened sitting on Tuesday, against the directive of both the upper and lower national chambers.

    The Senate last week endorsed the order of the House of Representatives, which ordered the closure of the Kogi assembly as well as taking over its function, following the protracted leadership crisis rocking the state assembly.

    The Senate also ordered the Inspector General of Police to enforce its order on the closure of the assembly complex.

    Factional speaker, Imam, however took his seat at exactly 12noon, and quickly commenced proceedings.

    He however noted that the house has not formed a quorum and asked that members present allow for others to take their seats before proceeding.

    Having waited for a brief moment, without the desires quorum, he adjourned sitting to Thursday, March 24.

    He said: “Gentlemen, we have waited for our members who have been travelling around Abuja to come, and therefore adjourn till 24th of March.”

     

  • Reps may take over Kogi Assembly

    Reps may take over Kogi Assembly

    The House of Representatives yesterday constituted a 10-member fact-finding delegation to probe the removal of Kogi State House of Assembly Speaker Momoh-Jimoh Lawal and 14 members.

    The delegation, headed by Deputy Majority Whip Pally Iriase, is to look into the affairs of the Assembly and restore sanity.

    “If the palliative moves fail,  the House of Representatives may consider taking over the legislative functions of the House of Assembly.”

    The resolution of the House followed the passage of a motion by Sunday Karimi and the adoption of the prayer at plenary.

    Karimi said what happened in the Assembly was an illegality.

    He said: “Section 92(2)(c) of the 1999 Constitution stipulates that the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the Assembly shall vacate office if he is removed by a resolution of the Assembly by the votes of not less than two-third majority of the members.

    “In Kogi Assembly, there are 25 members, but five had their elections nullified at the Court of Appeal and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to conduct a fresh election.

    “Accordingly, only 20 members are validly elected in the Assembly and two-third of 20 is at least 13 members.”

    The lawmaker said Governor Yahaya Bello was accused by the remaining 15 members of threatening them to remove Speaker Lawal “and appoint his stooge.”

    Federal legislators, who supported the motion, included Majority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila, Nnena Elendu-Ukeje, Rasak Atunwa, Sunday Adepoju, Tajudeen Yusuf and Edward Pwajok.

    Gbajabiamila said the Muhammadu Buhari administration would not tolerate impunity.

    He said the House would oppose violation of the constitution, as it did in Rivers, Oyo and Ekiti legislatures.

    His words: “The law is clear on how to impeach. The constitution is for Nigeria and Kogi State is part of Nigeria.

    “The National Assembly must make it clear that this must never happen again. This House will oppose this kind of politics for the sake of democracy and good governance.”

     

  • Kogi assembly impasse stalls budget passage

    Kogi assembly impasse stalls budget passage

    The crisis rocking the Kogi State house of assembly has began to take its toll on government activities in the state.

    Since the impasse, members of the state assembly are yet to deliberate on the 2016 appropriation bill forwarded to it by the past administration of Governor Idris Wada, for passage into law, even as the lawmakers continue to shun sitting.

    The government on its part as described the situation as unfortunate, coming at this time.

    The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Yahaya Bello, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, said the governor holds the assembly members in high esteem and expressed confidence that the crisis will soon be over.

    The prolonged leadership crisis in the Kogi State house of assembly has in the last three months witnessed the emergence of three speakers in less than three months.

    Two weeks ago five members of the assembly said they have impeahed Momohjimoh Lawal as speaking and elected Umar Imam in his place, leading to the relocation of Jimoh and 15 house members to Abuja.

    While Jimoh and the other 15 lawmakers are pointing accusing fingers at the governor as fueling the crisis, impasse at the Kogi assembly is impacting negatively on government business including the non passage of the 2016 appropriation bill.

    The government house which described the development as unfortunate however said it will continue to maintain cordial relationship with the assembly

    It stated: “It is quite unfortunate that the House of Assembly crisis is coming up at this critical time when the people of Kogi are beginning to feel the impact of good governance.

    “The governor holds the assembly members in high esteem and has expressed confidence that the crisis will soon be over. The governor on his part will continue to work towards maintaining a cordial working relationship with the respected honourable members of the House to move Kogi State forward.

    “We hope that very soon, the assembly will settle into its legislative business and compliment the Governor in his determination to move the state forward.”

  • Kogi Assembly shut, Bello denies involvement

    The leadership crisis rocking the Kogi State House of Assembly escalated on Thursday with allegations from camp of the Speaker, Momoh Jimoh Lawal, that Governor Yahaya Bello was behind the shutdown of the House by unknown persons.

    Lawal was impeached by a faction of the House on Tuesday.

    However, the governor has denied his involvement in the crisis rocking the Assembly.

    The Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the Governor, Abdulkarim Abdumalik, said he (the governor) has no hand in the Assembly crisis.

    He described as spurious allegations by some legislators that the governor was the behind the crisis in the House.

    Abdulmalik said, “The crisis in the House of Assembly predates the present administration in the state. It would be recalled that before the advent of the present administration, the assembly crisis assumed a violent dimension when vehicles belonging to the different caucuses in the House were vandalized.”

  • Five-member Kogi assembly impeach speaker

    The crisis rocking the Kogi State House of Assembly Tuesday took another turn as the Speaker, Momohjimoh Lawal was removed by his former supporters.

    Coming out of the assembly chambers, Hon. Friday Sani who emerged as the new Majority Leader and announced that the new speaker, Hon. Imam Umar, representing Lokoja 1 constituency was elected in replacement by ’15 members’ of the house, though only four other lawmakers were sighted earlier coming out from the assembly chambers.

    According to him others elected were Hon. John Abba, Chief Whip while the position of the Deputy Speaker was left vacant.

    Lawal has however said that he remains the speaker, declaring his impeachment as null and void.

    Sani who addressed anxious reporters at the end of their closed door session said laid down procedure was followed in the process.

    He said that the impeached speaker has not demonstrated the capacity to lead the house.

    He said the house has followed due process to remove the speaker, saying that 15 members signed the impeachment notice, while only seven was required to form quorum to remove the principal officers.

    He added: “With the Court of Appeal ruling which sacked five of our members, reducing it to 20, only seven members are required to form quorum and we have more than that”.

    The embattled Momohjimoh Lawal said that he remains speaker, when he addressed journalists in his house at the Assembly quarters.

    He said 15 out of the 20 members of the house passed a vote of confidence on him this morning (Tuesday).

    He said the assembly will reconvene today from recess, adding that no one can issue proclamation aside him.