House Awaits Senate Concurrence on Kogi Assembly Crisis

Ahead of its take over of the Kogi State House of Assembly (KSHA), over the protracted crises resulting in the illegal impeachment of the Speaker, Hon. Momoh Jimoh Lawal, the House of Representatives has said it is awaiting the concurrence of the Senate to enable it implement its resolution.



This came as it said it would take appropriate action against the KSHA faction led by Hon. Umar Imam for holding plenary on Thursday despite the resolution of the House.
A 10-man delegation of the House led by the Deputy Chief Whip, Hon Pally Iriase, had recommended a takeover of the state assembly following investigations into the protracted crises.

The recommendation was unanimously passed by the lawmakers who also declared as null, void and unconstitutional, the impeachment of Lawal as Speaker.
If the resolution is concurred to by the Senate, the proceedings of the state assembly would be taken over by the House of Representatives, except for impeachment proceedings.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Publicity, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, told THISDAY that the House had done the right thing in protecting and preserving the sanctity of the legislature.

“It is not the House that is taking over, but the National Assembly, comprising both Senate and the House. If the Senate concurs, then we take steps for full takeover. Even in the case of Rivers State, it was the House that initiated the steps for the takeover….Once Senate concurs, the House takes over all their proceedings including passing their 2016 budget,” he said.
“We would take appropriate action, we have already communicated our resolution to the Senate,” Namdas disclosed.
Reacting to reports that the Imam faction had threatened legal action against the House of Representatives over the takeover bid, Namdas said the faction has a right to approach the court.

“Whatever they do is illegal, but since they are approaching the court, it is their right, this is a democracy,” he added.
Meanwhile, the report of the fact-finding delegation also indicted the Speaker, Lawal, for misleading Governor Yahya Bello and contributing to the crises, thereby causing avoidable collision with the governor.

Bello, according to the report, had told the delegation that he was deliberately misled by Lawal “who willingly accepted to resign his position as Speaker and gave names of possible successor and other principal officers of the House, only for him to incite his group to renege on the promise in his desperate bid to cling to power…”
Inspite of the indictment, the House declared as null and void, Lawal’s impeachment, and condemned the actions of Imam.