From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The Ebonyi Caucus of the House of Representatives has called on the House to strike out a resolution by the House Committee on Public Petitions against Governor Francis Nwifuru regarding the arrest and detention of Ohanaeze Youth Leader, Igboayaka O. Igboayaka.
Igboayaka was arrested in Imo State by the police and taken to Ebonyi State over his comments before and after an attack by gunmen on the Obegu community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, which resulted in the deaths of 15 community members.
He was prosecuted and detained at the Abakaliki Correctional Centre.
A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ugochinyere Ikenga, representing Ideato Federal Constituency, accused Governor Francis Nwifuru of abducting Igboayaka through a petition submitted to the House of Representatives last week.
However, the Ebonyi Caucus in the House accused Ikenga of flouting the ruling of the Speaker of the House on petitions, which states that any member wishing to submit a petition outside their state of jurisdiction must consult colleagues from that state.
In an application made on the floor of the House on Thursday on behalf of the Ebonyi Caucus, the leader of the Caucus, Hon. Iduma Igariwey, noted that Ikenga’s petition against Nwifuru also contravened Section 308(1) of the 1999 Constitution. He urged the House to strike out the resolution of the Committee on Public Petitions and rescind the committee’s order on the petition.
He described the petition as incompetent, arguing that the Governor of Ebonyi State enjoys immunity under Section 308(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
‘Mr Speaker, I made this application on behalf of myself and the entire Ebonyi contingent of the House of Representatives of this 10th House.
‘Mr Speaker, our privilege has to do with a petition that was presented before this Hon. House just last Thursday, on the 6th of March, by a member of this House, Hon. Ugochinyere Ikenga.
‘In that petition, a whole lot of criminal allegations were levelled against the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State.
‘In summary, the allegations are to the effect that the Governor kidnapped and detained one Comrade Igboayaka.
‘Mr Speaker, consistent with our rules, no debate was allowed on that petition. So, it was ordinarily referred to the Committee on Public Petitions.
‘A whole lot of people were worried in my state, in my constituency. So, Mr Speaker, I recall that just last week, you made a ruling and admonished us that if we must take petitions, we should take petitions concerning our states. If we must go beyond our states, we must get in touch with our Hon. Members in those states so that we can speed things up or provide more information to our colleagues.
‘Mr Speaker, my colleague never consulted any of us, which is the privilege we should enjoy from you having made a ruling on that. It is a very serious situation that has arisen, and we think that our privilege has been seriously infringed.
‘Mr Speaker, the Governor of Ebonyi State is a sitting Governor and, by virtue of Section 308(1) of the Constitution, he enjoys immunity. Everybody is bewildered. What do we intend to achieve by that resolution saying that the Committee on Public Petitions should investigate a sitting Governor? What do we intend to achieve? Do we intend to drag him before this House, because that is the consequence of a committee resolution?
‘So, Mr Speaker, on behalf of myself and my colleagues, we are asking this House to do what is consequential in these circumstances, which is to strike out that resolution, and the order of the committee should also be rescinded,’ Igariwey said.