The Benue State House of Assembly (BNHA),has suspended 13 members of the legislative house for three months over their ignoble actions.
Those affected by the suspension include, Douglas Akya (Makurdi South), Jonathan Agbidye (Katsina-Ala East), Beckie Orpin (Gboko East), Simon Gabo (Ushongo-Mata), Williams Ortyom (Agasha), Onah Blessed (Oju 1) and Elias Audu (Gwer East).
Others are;Anyor Mato (Kwande East), Manger Manger (Tarka), Solomon Gyila (Gwer West), Samuel Agada (Ogbadibo), Abraham Jabi (Buruku) and Ezra Nyiyongo (Ukum)
The faction of the Assembly led by the Speaker, Aondona Dajoh,explained that it had to suspend the lawmakers who voted for the removal of the State Chief Judge (CJ), Justice Maurice Ikpambese, and later turned around to address a press conference distancing themselves from the action.
He said that the actions of the suspended lawmakers was capable of “casting aspersions and causing acrimony” among members of the Assembly.
The Assembly condemned in the strongest terms the actions of Douglas Akya, and the twelve others, arguing that after voting for the removal of Justice Ikpambase, they went ahead to address a press conference and denied voting in favor of the motion to remove the CJ.
The House has advised the suspended lawmakers to refund to government coffers, funds that have already been advanced to them for a planned foreign trip, since they would no longer be embarking on the trip.
Earlier, the Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer, in a motion reminded the house that after exhaustive deliberations on Tuesday, 23 members out of the 31 members present voted in favour of the recommendation to remove the State Chief Judge.
He stated that after the resolutions were adopted, 13 of its members, who had some voted in support of the removal of Justice Ikpambase, later dissociated themselves from the process, thereby contravening Order IX, Rule 58(6) of the House Standing Rules.
He argued that the actions of the 13 lawmakers was an afterthought and a deceptive posture capable of causing acrimony and casting aspersions on the House.
