Finally, cogent reasons yesterday emerged why four lawmakers in the Benue State House of Assembly bagged three months suspension from the hallowed chambers.
The suspended legislators who were given marching orders from the House were: Hon. Douglas Akya (representing Makurdi South constituency), Solomon Gila (representing Gwer-West), Anthony (representing Okpokwu) and Cephas Dyako of the Labour Party (representing Konshisha Local Government Area).
Majority Leader of the Assembly, Hon. Saater Tiseer who spoke to journalists on the crisis rocking the Assembly and other issues said they were suspended for not only constituting a clog in the wheels of progress in the Assembly but also for allegedly plotting to embarrass Governor Alia over their bid to embark of foreign trips.
“They wanted to frustrate the governor, they wanted to embarrass him and we felt that was unnecessary. Some of them were saying they need to do foreign travels and they did not know if the governor had signed it.
“So we suspended them because they are not the alternative House, they are not the ones driving the House, they are there to just reason with us about their welfare if in case there are things we have forgotten so they are not supposed to constitute another sitting and we suspended them based on our rules and the Speaker has the power to do what we did”.
Hon. Tiseer regretted that the action of the embattled lawmakers also known as G-22 (legislators that are not in leadership), was capable of translating into the impeachment of the Speaker.
He said that the leadership of the 10th Assembly has been magnanimous with other colleagues especially in the sharing of committee positions and other privileges and wondered why they have decided to make the atmosphere in the House very inclement.
He confirmed the polarization of the House stressing that the leadership of the Assembly was engaging other relevant stakeholders to enable it have a robost legislative session.
