Members of Edo State House of Assembly have continued to give reasons for their action to impeach the former speaker Victor Edoror and his deputy, Bright Osayande from their positions.
The lawmakers cited alleged greed, corrupt practices, among other unethical practices as the reasons for their action.
According to pointblanknews the impeached Speaker has been slammed with three months suspension from legislative duty.
However, the embattled former speaker has insisted that he remains the Speaker of the Assembly.
The house in the meantime, has raised a five member committee headed by the lawmaker
representing Akoko Edo constituency one, Mr. Kabiru Adjoto to dig into the
financial recklessness of the impeached Speaker between June 2015 and May
3rd 2016.
He is alleged to have six fraud cases before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The impeachment of the two principal members of the house had sparked fire and armed thugs suspected to be loyal to the speaker who reportedly invaded the house and shot sporadically into the air to scare the lawmakers and others who were at the gallery to watch the day’s proceedings.
There was heavy shooting by suspected thugs at the house of assembly complex which forced people and traders at the popular Oba market and adjoining streets and roads to scamper for safety.
Sixteen out of the 24 APC and PDP lawmakers in the house signed the impeachment notice that was made available to newsmen in the state. It was gathered that trouble started when the member representing Owan East constituency and Majority Leader of the house, Mr. Folly Ogedegbe moved a motion to impeach speaker Edoror and the Deputy Speaker.
The motion was seconded by Mr. Gani Audu representing Etsako West constituency 1.
According to the motion, “We the under listed and undersigned Honourable members representing the various constituencies in the Edo State House of Assembly have on this day 3rd of May 2016 resolved to impeach our speaker, Hon. Victor Edoror Tiger and the Deputy Speaker Hon. Osayande for acts of gross misconduct.”
Before Edoror’s ouster, a speaker ex-tempo, Mr. Patrick Iluobe was appointed by the lawmakers to preside over the business of the day.
The new speaker, Rt. Hon. Ativie , while fielding reporters’ questions, said the members accused the former speaker of alleged greed and corruption, stating the lawmakers cannot tolerate an indecent character to occupy the exalted position as speaker of the hallowed chamber.
The new speaker stated that if the former speaker was found wanting at the end of the three months within which the committee is expected to submit its report, he will be handed over to the relevant authority for prosecution.
Speaking in the same vein, Mr. Kabiru Adjoto, alleged that the impeached speaker “is violently corrupt who have flair for eating government money just the way the red mouth squirrel has mouth for palm kernel”, adding , “As it (Squirrel) is eating one, it is looking at another one that is how Edoror is.”
Continuing, he said: “As it is today, Edoror has a lot of EFCC case hanging on his neck, and you media men can go and verify these we cannot afford to have a speaker that is been investigated by the EFCC because of his corrupt nature.
‘’As earlier mentioned by our new speaker, Edoror has a corrupt tendency that cannot be mentioned by one, enough is enough, that is while sixteen members of the house today signed impeachment notice against him. As we speak today, both APC and PDP members in the house signed impeachment notice against him.”
But Edoror in his reaction said he remains the elected speaker of the house, stressing that only eleven lawmakers were at the sitting in the hallowed chambers when he was impeached.
It was gathered that the house under Edoror had recently speared a summon on some commissioners in Oshiomhole’s cabinet among whom were the commissioner for Finance and that of ESIEC and two others.
Part of the lawmakers queries on the commissioners who appeared before them were on the Edo University and the reason why the state electoral commission has not conducted election into the 18 local government councils in the state.
Also, under the watch of the embattled ex-speaker, the house sacked the 18 local government chairmen without reference to the state governor; a matter our Correspondent gathered did not go down well with the state government.
Edoror is seen as the only speaker whose tenure was short lived and the lawmakers were also against him for not protecting their collective interests.
