17th December, 2014
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
Two lawmakers on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Edo state who were suspended by the State House of Assembly, Kingsley Ehigiamusoe and Emmanuel Okoduwa, were Wednesday pardoned and their suspension lifted by the House.
The pardon of the renegade lawmakers followed their repentance and return to the Assembly attended by the 14 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers and presided over by the Speaker, Hon. Uyi Igbe, at the old assembly chamber located inside the Government House.
Leadership of the House said the suspension of Kingsley Ehigiamusoe, the Minority Whip and Emmanuel Okoduwa, the Minority Leader of the House, was lifted in the spirit of Christmas, following which they participated in the sitting of the House and were subsequently restored as Chairmen of the House Committees on Judiciary; Arts and Culture respectively.
It would be recalled that Ehigiamusoe and Okoduwa, boycotted sittings in solidarity with four of the PDP lawmakers who were suspended by the House and were sitting at the Ring Road Complex of the Assembly which is under reconstruction. They were however not part of those whose cases with the House are in court, thereby paving way for their matter to be asily resolved by the House.
Shortly after proceedings, the Majority Leader, Mr Philip Shaibu, addressed a press conference where he said they have all resolved to work together for the interest of the people of the state.
“We have decided to resolve our differences on our own, we have thrown away our differences for progress. You will observe that these two people were suspended because they decided to stay away from the House in solidarity with the PDP members who were suspended. So it is in the purvey of the House to resolve.
“All those people drinking Panadol on another man’s problems will now go and rest, those external forces. We thank our Royal Father the Oba of Benin for all his advise. We have decided to resolve issues with these two lawmakers in the spirit of Christmas,” he explained.
The return of the two law makers may be steps towards their eventual defection to APC, due to what they allegedly described as alleged “selfish” attitude of PDP leaders.
Meanwhile, Edo State House of Assembly on Wednesday rejected the Local Government Autonomy Bill.
Rejection of the Bill which is seeking autonomy for local government and is part of a Bills for law to further alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (4th alteration), sparked protests by members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and the civil society in the state.
Thirteen lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and two returning Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers participated in the plenary at the old Exco Chambers inside the Edo State Government House on Wednesday.
At a resumed plenary of the House after the primary election of the political parties, consideration for the Local Government Autonomy Bill came up when House committee chairman on Rules, Business and Government, Hon Phillip Shaibu, raised it for consideration.
However, the assembly, through a voice vote, voted against the section seeking full autonomy for local governments in the country.
Shortly after the lawmakers rejected the bill, local government workers, under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union Local Government Employees (NULGE) and their counterparts from the civil societies staged a protest in parts of Benin to express their displeasure over the action of the lawmakers.
President of the Edo State chapter of NULGE, Comrade Edwards Elenikhena, said the lawmakers showed that they were against the interest of the people by rejecting the bill.
“We want to remind them that February is another election and that our voters cards are with us. They have said no to the wishes of the people. They have exercised their own influence. We shall also exercise our own influence in February,” he said.
Also, a leader of the protesting civil society groups, Comrade Austin Osakwe, said the lawmakers have acted against the wishes of the Edo people and that they would meet their waterloo at the polls in February.
“Our position is very clear. This is an election matter. I can speak on behalf of the civil society here present. We will mobilise the people; we will show them who their real enemies are.