Benue Assembly suspends 13 lawmakers for opposing Chief Judge’s removal and orders refund of travel funds.
The Benue State House of Assembly has suspended 13 lawmakers for opposing the removal of the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese. The suspension, which was announced during a plenary session on Wednesday, also includes an order for the lawmakers to return funds allocated for an upcoming foreign trip that they will no longer be taking.
The motion for suspension was introduced by Majority Leader Saater Tiseer, who emphasized the importance of maintaining order and discipline within the legislative body. He explained that on Tuesday, the assembly had received a complaint from the Office of the Attorney-General, which outlined allegations of misconduct, bribery, and corruption against Justice Ikpambese.
After deliberations, 23 of the 31 present members voted in favor of removing Ikpambese and appointing the next judicial officer as Acting Chief Judge. However, the 13 suspended lawmakers opposed this decision. Tiseer argued that their opposition violated the House’s Standing Order IX, Rule 58 (6), which prohibits attempts to revisit a resolved matter without a formal motion for rescission.
The suspended lawmakers are: Douglas Akya (APC/Makurdi South), Jonathan Agbidye (APC/Katsina-Ala East), Beckie Orpin (APC/Gboko East), Simon Gabo (APC/Mata), William Ortyom (PDP/Agasha), Emmanuel Onah (PDP/Oju I), Elias Audu (APC/Gwer East), Anyor Matu (APC/Kwande East), Manger Manger (APC/Tarka), Solomon Gyila (APC/Gwer West), Samuel Agada (APC/Ogbadibo), Abraham Jabi (APC/Buruku), and Ezra Nyiyongo (APC/Ukum).
The motion, seconded by Katsina-Ala West representative Peter Ipusu, accused the suspended lawmakers of mischief, claiming they had initially participated in the debate and voted in favor of removing the Chief Judge, only to later deny their involvement. Ipusu also insisted that the suspended members should return the funds allocated for their foreign trip since it would no longer take place.
Makurdi North APC representative Alfred Berger supported the suspension, arguing that the lawmakers had shown disrespect to Speaker Dajoh and the House. He suggested that their reinstatement should depend on a public acknowledgment of their involvement in the process that led to their suspension.
However, Kwande West APC representative Thomas Digeri called for the suspension to be reduced to one month.
Speaker Dajoh noted that he had initially wanted to delay the debate for further consultations, but the suspended members insisted on an immediate resolution. He pointed out that they had actively participated in the voting and questioned why they had later denied their involvement.
The Speaker further directed the suspended members to refund the allocated foreign trip funds to the Ministry of Finance, strongly condemning their actions as damaging to the House’s integrity and potentially sowing discord.
Sahara
