By Friday Idachaba in Lokoja
Seventeen members of Kogi House of Assembly have impeached four Principal Officers of the House as they suspended three over alleged Gross Misconduct.
The impeachment and suspension took place on the floor of the House at an emergency sitting on Friday, following the adoption of a motion by the 17 members, read by Hon. Enema Paul (APC-Dekina II).
The motion, among other allegations, accused the four former Principal Officers of the 25-member House of gross misconduct and called for their immediate impeachment and replacement.
The motion, moved by the 17 members was seconded by Hon. Ibrahim Usman (APC-Adavi).
Calling for their immediate replacement, Enema Paul held that the House could not exist in vacuum, hence the need for immediate replacement, pending the outcome of investigations into their alleged misdemeanor.
“We, the undersigned honourable members of the Kogi State House of Assembly do hereby resolve to impeach the following Principal Officers.”the 17 members said.
The names of the impeached Principal Officers are: Hon. Ahmed Mohammed, Deputy Speaker; Bello Hassan Abdullahi, Majority Leader; Ndako Idris, Deputy Majority Leader and Edoko Moses Ododo, Deputy Chief Whip.
“We also resolved to replace the impeached Principal Officers with the following members: Hon. Rabiu Momoh Alfa, Deputy Speaker; Hon. Bajeh Mukhtar, Majority Leader; Hon. Umar Tenimu Isa, Deputy Majority Leader and Hon. Enema Paul, Deputy Chief Whip.
“In view of the above allegation of gross misconduct of the impeached principal officers, we further resolved to suspend the following members until further notice pending the outcome of Investigation of the allegations levelled against them”, they added.
The suspended members include the impeached Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Mohammed; Bello Hassan Abdullahi, Majority Leader and Edoko Moses Ododo, Deputy Chief Whip while Ndako Idris, Deputy Majority Leader becomes floor member.
Ruling on the motion, the Speaker, Prince Matthew Kolawole, put the question whether 17 members actually signed the document and they affirmed their position.
Kolawole also directed the Clerk of the House to call out the new principal officers and there after inaugurate them, following majority voice votes in their favour.
The House on Friday, also dissolved the Standing Committees and constituted new ones to upscale performance of their oversight responsibilities in the remaining lifespan of the 7th Assembly in the state.
