The House of Representatives yesterday resolved to take over legislative activities of the parliament in accordance with section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The decision of the House was reached after adopting the recommendations of the 10-member Committee set up to investigate the alleged illegal removal of the Speaker of Kogi State of Assembly, Hon. Jimoh Momoh also directed the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase to seal-off the Kogi House of Assembly complex until further notice.
The fact finding committee led by deputy chief whip, Rep Pally Iriase (APC Edo), had in its recommendations stated that “In view of the fact that the Kogi State House of Assembly cannot perform it’s Legislative functions due to the intractable crises and the volatile security situation in the State, the National Assembly should invoke the powers conferred on it by section 11(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to take over the legislative functions of the State House of Assembly pending the restoration of normalcy in the Assembly”.
As part of the recommendations, the House urged that “members of the Kogi State House of Assembly to quickly and amicably resolve any misunderstanding within them, do the needful to restore normalcy and report readiness to quickly assume legislative functions to the National Assembly,” the House ruled”.
The committee said during its fact finding mission to the state, it met with the governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the embattled speaker, Hon. Momoh Jimoh Lawal and his group, Kogi state Commissioner of Police, Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. David Dantata Dangiwa.
It noted that “the Governor (Yahaya Bello) maintained that he has no hand in the crises rocking the State House of Assembly and that he had, severally reiterated his readiness to work harmoniously with the State House of Assembly.”
According to the committee, the governor said “he has not tried to influence the decision of the House as he was new in office and does not have any prior relationship with the members of the State House of Assembly other than to work for the good of the entire state in line with his oath of office.
“That there have always been crises in the State House of Assembly even before he assumed office.
“That there is lopsidedness in the distribution of power between the major tribes in the State – the Governor and the Speaker are co-incidentally from the same local government area.
“That he was deliberately misled by Hon. Momoh Jimoh Lawal who willingly accepted to resign his position as Speaker and have names of his possible successor and other principal officers of the House only for him to incite his group to renege on the promise in his desperate bud to cling unto power in the heat of the crises at the State House of Assembly.”
Although, the Lawal group agreed that there was indeed an understanding to change the leadership of the Assembly, which it was part of, it accused the governor of subtle plot to install his choice candidate, Hon. Umar Imam as speaker saying this was the cause of the crisis.
“The group traced the background of the crises rocking the state House of Assembly to the desire of the governor of the state, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahya Bello to install Hon. Umar Imam as the speaker of the State House of Assembly and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”
The House is empowered by Section 11(4), which reads, “At any time when any House of Assembly of a state is unable to perform its functions by reason of the situation prevailing in that state, the National Assembly may make such laws for the peace, order and good government of that State with respect to matters on which a House of Assembly may make laws as may appear to the National Assembly to be necessary or expedient until such time as the House of Assembly is able to resume its functions; and any such laws enacted by the National Assembly pursuant to this section shall have effect as if they were laws enacted by the House of Assembly of the State.”
However, the House requires the concurrence of the Senate for it to formally implement.
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