Concerned indigenes of Kogi State under the aegis of Kogi Youth Forum on Tuesday staged peaceful protest at the entrance of National Assembly complex, Abuja, with a demand to unseal the Kogi State House of Assembly without further delay.
The protest was staged barely 12 hours after the state governor, Yahaya Bello, signed the 2016 budget of N99.9 billion in contravention of the resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives, mandating the governor to “immediately send his budget and other executive Bills to the National Assembly for consideration as stipulated in Section 11 of the Constitution.”
The budget was passed by the five lawmakers that impeached the Speaker Momoh Lawal and his deputy, on April 12, 2016.
The protesting youths, who displayed various placards, argued that the speaker and his deputy were impeached by 18 lawmakers, adding that the resolution of the National Assembly had “political undertone.”
Some of the placards read: “Kogi youths say no to National Assembly dominance;” “Unseal Kogi State Assembly now;” “Kogi State should not be left behind, unseal our House of Assembly now;” “Go to Nasarawa and Edo, not Kogi State;” “Stop interfering in Kogi Assembly matter;” “Kogi State has faith in our House of Assembly;” “National Assembly face your primary assignment;” “One Governor, one Speaker, one Assembly in unity;” “National Assembly: Kogi needs peace, leave us alone,” among others.
While reacting to National Assembly’s resolution, Ajala Sunday, deputy chairman of Lokoja Local Government, observed that the shutting down of the legislative chambers, “impedes the progress of the state and incapacitates the Governor from discharging his functions.”
Sunday, who faulted the procedure adopted by the House of Representatives delegation headed by Pally Iriase to interface with all the warring parties including the state governor, argued that the delegation did not give fair hearing to the other lawmakers involved in the crisis.
On his part, Mohammed Tope, who faulted the former Speaker, Jimoh Lawal, noted that the decision of the Governor to spread the political offices across the thee senatorial districts was in order.
“There’s no way Jimoh Lawal will want the Governor and the Speaker to come from the same place. We have three senatorial districts that spread across the state: Kogi Central produced the Governor, Kogi West produced the Secretary to the State Government while Kogi East produced the Deputy Governor,” he said.
On the visit of the House delegation, he said: “A decision had been taken even before the panel, there was no problem arising that warranted them to come. You remember the former Speaker, it was unfortunate that they used double standard.”
The protesters, who pledged support for Governor Bello, applauded the report on the 984 mushroom schools and ongoing efforts to reposition the state, which they alleged have been bastardized over the past 16 years of PDP rule.
In the adopted recommendations of the Adhoc Committee on Kogi State Assembly crisis, chaired by Femi Gbajabiamila, the House unanimously mandated Abubakar Malami, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to “immediately withdraw his advice to the Inspector General.
“That the Attorney General be reprimanded for undermining the authority of the legislature. That the Attorney General proceed to court if he has any issue with the resolution of the National Assembly on this matter or any matter in the future.
“That the Inspector General of Police immediately reseals the Kogi State Assembly pending the resolution of the Kogi crisis. That the Inspector General of Police be reprimanded for undermining the authority of the legislature.
“That all resolution, laws and actions taken by the State Assembly from the date of the National Assembly resolution be declared null and void by operation of law.”
