The lawmaker representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State in the National Assembly,, Hon. Francis Ottah Agbo has reacted angrily to the scenario leading to the removal of the impeached Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mr. Tonye Isenah.
The Benue lawmaker described the attitude if Hon. Isemah as ‘shameful.’
In a release on the Bayela impasse, Hon. Agbo said, “As a lawmaker, I am shocked at what happened last Monday at the Bayelsa State House of Assembly. I have never seen or heard where or when a Speaker or any presiding officer would in the course of sitting in plenary hit the GAVEL and adjourn sitting or the legislature, parliament sine-die!
“The practice and convention as captured in the RULE is that a member would rise to sponsor a motion for adjournment, another member would second. The Speaker, President of the Senate or the Presiding Officer as the case may be, then puts it to vote and then rules accordingly.
” For the Bayelsa State House of Assembly Speaker, Honourable Tonye Emmanuel Isenah to unilaterally adjourn the House indefinitely is anti-parliamentary! What the Speaker, who ordinarily should be a bastion of legislative compliance, did is a mockery of democracy, and smacks of legislative terrorism. This act could throw the now peaceful state into chaos. It should be condemned by all. S
“See what transpired in the UK recently. The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson unilaterally suspended Parliament for five weeks in the run up to the Brexit deadline – October 31.
“But the Supreme Court in a landmark judgement declared his decision unlawful because Mr. Johnson is not vested with the power to so adjourn the Parliament suo motu. Just like the Western world condemned Johnson and urged him to resign, I expect Nigerians and particularly Bayelsans to rise in unison to say no to the desecration of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly by Mr. Isenah!
“Bayelsa is the centre of gravity of the struggles, restiveness and agitations in the Niger Delta. Now that both the Federal and State Governments have managed to stabilise the state,
“I don’t expect any person or group of persons to foment trouble or attempt to destabilize the littoral state! The country is currently struggling to combat insurgency, crimes and criminalities of different forms. Nigeria can not survive additional violence from the only homogenous Ijaw state!.
“There is urgent need for all stakeholders, irrespective of party or interest affiliations to come together and call Isena to order. Like former President Goodluck Jonathan once said, nobody’s ambition should spill blood,” he said.
