Abuja – The House of Representatives on Wednesday, resolved to take over the Kogi State House of Assembly legislative duties due to intractable crisis and volatile security situation in the state.
This followed a recommendation of the House of Representatives delegation to the state recently.
Rep. Pally Iriase, the Leader of the Delegation, presenting the report during plenary, said that several consultations were made to parties involved including the State Governor during the visit.
According to Iriase, the Governor Yahaya Bello, in his submission maintained that he had no hand in the crisis rocking the state and had not tried to influence the decision of the House.
He added that he was deliberately misled by Rep. Lawal Momoh-Jimoh who willingly accepted to resign his position as Speaker and gave names of his possible successor and other principal officers.
According to the report, Bello alleged that Momoh-Jimoh incited his group to renege on the promise in his desperate bid to cling unto power in the heat of the crisis in the State House of Assembly.
Speaking on the group, Iriase said the group explained that there was an understanding to change the leadership of the State Assembly in order to comply with section 14 (3), of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
According to the report, the group further explained that the there was no plenary on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016 as there was an earlier proclamation on Feb.15 by the Speaker suspending sitting till Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016.
He added that meeting of the five members that purportedly impeached the Speaker was not held in the chamber of the State Assembly but in the office of Rep. Friday Sanni.
The group also alleged that the Government actively provided armed security to the group of five led by Rep. Umar Imam who barricaded and prevented other members of the Momoh-Jimoh led group of 15 from entering the Assembly complex.
The House further directed the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase to seal up the Kogi State of House Assembly complex.
