Asaba -The Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Monday Igbuya and some protesting members of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN yesterday had free-for-all at the gate to the Assembly.
Indeed, emotion and anger were the elements that played out as the Speaker, Mr. Igbuya and one of the PASAN’s staff identified as Bunchi exchanged blows while others joined to buffet the Speaker, apparently to free their member from the inion grib of the Speaker.
Trouble however started when Buchi, who was manning the VIP gate prevented the Speaker’s convoy from gaining access into the Assembly complex, saying ‘he would rather die than for the Speaker to enter his office.’
the Speaker in his angry element alighted from his Lexus Jeep and angrily told Buchi to clear from the way or risk being manhandled. But Bunchi wave it off as if nobody was talking to him; he refusal provoked the Speaker, who threw the first blow at him, which the former retaliated immediately.
It took the prompt intervention of his security details and other security operatives at the Assembly complex before the Speaker realised himself and calmed down.for the Speaker to enter his office.’
Hundreds of the association members had since Monday this week barricaded the Assembly complex over their unpaid renumerations.
The state chairman of the association, Comrade Emmanuel Edozien, had just reeled out the grievances of his members when the Speaker’s convoy arrived the scene.
Edozien, who said over 12 members of the association have died in active service without due recognition by the House since 2008, wondered why the Speaker was insensitive to their plights.
The Speaker had been enmeshed in impeachment controversies since last year before he narrowly escaped being removed last month over alleged high-handedness and parliamentary misconducts.
Since all entreaties by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to prevail on some lawmakers to save the Speaker were failing, the development had slowed down the planned speedy passage of the 2017 budget proposal recently presented to the House as the lawmakers could not sit for two days.
