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Tony Osauzo, Benin
The 17-member faction of the Edo State House of Assembly sat yesterday and condemned the clearance of five persons as civil commissioners and members into the Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (EDSOGPADEC).
At the sitting presided over by the factional Speaker, Hon Victor Edoror, the members declared the clearing as unconstitutional as they argued that the seven members that cleared the nominees did not form a quorum.
Speaking under matters of urgent public importance, the member representing Uhunmwonde constituency, Hon Washington Osifo said “the unconstitutional clearance of civil Commissioners nominated by the governor, to fill the vacancies in EDSOGPADEC were screened and approved by a contraption made up of seven out of twenty four members of the Edo State House of Assembly.
He said one of the responsibilities of the parliament, in tandem with the dictate of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is to act as a check on the executive.
“Such screening and clearance must be declared null and void by the parliament as they didn’t form a quorum to do so. This house must condemn such act in all its entirety; since in the face of the law, those Commissioners never appeared before any constitutionally recognised Parliament for clearance”, Osifo said.
Other members including Deputy Speaker and the member representing Akoko-Edo II Hon. Emmanuel Agbaje, the member representing Owan West, Honourable Ohio Ezomo, the member representing Orhiomwon I, Hon Nosayaba Okunbor, the member representing Oredo West, Hon Chris Okaeben, his Oredo East Constituency counterpart, Hon Ekhosuehi Uyiosasere, Etsako East, Hon. Ugabi Kingsley, Hon. Vincent Uwadie of Ovia North East all condemned what they called the ‘executive rascality’ of Edo State government, which they say must not be allowed to continue.
Reacting to the development, factional Speaker of the other seven-member Assembly , Hon Frank Okiye, dismissed their position.
“They said we do not exist so why did they recognise our position when we removed the Deputy Speaker? Are they not aware that there is a court order today (yesterday) that ordered that they should be arrested and investigated for treasonable felony, forgery and impersonation and we have resolved in our sitting that they should be investigated for treasonable felony, forgery and impersonation. I have said repeatedly that they do not exist and they should work to respond to the order of the court and explain themselves to security agencies”, he said.
