- Set residents on edge
From Osaigbovo Iguoaro, Benin
Two parallel sittings of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic party (PDP) members of the House of Assembly yesterday set pedestrians and commuters on edge in Benin, the Edo state capital.
Our correspondent reports that adjoining roads leading to the King Square, venue of the Assembly complex were cordoned-off by a team of combined security personnel during the proceedings, which lasted for over four hours.
Suspended Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Festus Ebea led other 8 PDP lawmakers at the hallowed chamber of the assembly complex under the leaking roof that was removed last Friday.
The PDP legislators conducted plenary under an intense atmosphere in the morning, almost at the same time the 14 APC members converged on Government House, Benin City to hold their sitting.
The plenary sessions were held under tight security, with feuding parties in the crises passing two sets of resolutions.
PDP members of the House passed a resolution freezing all commercial bank accounts of the state House of Assembly and requested Governor Adams Oshiomhole to pay the outstanding entitlements of the 934 teachers who were recalled after being sacked for seven months.
The House also requested all 18 local council chairmen to furnish it within two weeks, details of all their revenue receipts before the House adjourned plenary till today (Tuesday), pursuant to the motion by Hon Friday Ogieriakhi, member representing Orhionmwon-South constituency, which was seconded by Hon Patrick Osayimwen representing Oredo east constituency.
Hon. Ebea, who was the House committee chairman on Tender’s Board before the stalemate began on June 9, conducted his colleagues on a tour of the complex and stopped intermittently to identify some bad spots. The tour culminated into a short prayer session.
When the new Clerk of the House read the day’s order announcing the suspension of the APC Speaker, Hon. Uyi Igbe, and five others for allegedly confining legislative business to the Governor’s Office, the House leader, Hon. Emmanuel Okoduwa pleaded with other members to extend an olive branch to their APC colleagues.
Similarly, the APC legislators, led by the embattled Speaker, Hon. Uyi Igbe sat in Government House and adopted a resolution calling on the international communities like Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations to come to the aid of the country. They however accused Federal government of not capable of discharging its responsibilities to the citizens.
The APC House members also, in a resolution, directed President Goodluck Jonathan to take steps to prevent the breakdown of law and order in the state, by calling on the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Assistant Inspector- General of Police (AIG), Zone 5 and the commissioner of Police, Edo State to stop fuelling crisis in the state.
They also called on the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole to act swiftly to avoid the ungodly situation being allegedly perpetuated by PDP and its lawmakers in the state.
It also called on the Nigeria Police to allow for free flow of traffic in the state, especially the Ring Road axis.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
