4th May, 2016
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
Hell was let loose at the Edo State House of Assembly on Tuesday afternoon, as scores of hoodlums invaded the hallow chamber of the Assembly, shooting sporadically. The hoodlums injured six persons in the process.
Trouble started when the Majority Leader, Hon. Folly Ogedegbe (Owan West Constituency), moved motion for impeachment of the Speaker, Hon. Victor Edoror and the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Bright Osayande.
The motion reads: “We the underlisted and undersigned Honourable Members representing the various constituencies in the Edo State House of Assembly, have on this day 3rd of May 2016 have resolved to impeach our Speaker, Hon. Chief Victor Edoror Tiger and the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Osayande, for acts of gross misconduct.
The motion was seconded by Hon. Gani Audu, (Etsako West I).
The only female member of the House, Hon. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Ativie, (Uhumwode), was elected Speaker while Hon. (Dr.) Joseph Okonoboh (Igueben Constituency, was elected Deputy Speaker during proceeding presided over by the Speaker ex-tempo Hon. Patrick Iluobe (Esan Central).
Following the election of the new leadership of the House, the impeached Speaker and his Deputy walked into the chamber in company of the suspected hoodlums who shot sporadically to scare people out and in the process, about six persons sustained various degrees of gunshort injuries.
In her acceptance speech, the new Speaker, Hon. (Mrs.) Ativie, said the members can no longer tolerate the greedy nature of the former Speaker.
She said the impeached Speaker has up to six different financial cases with the EFCC and that the members can no longer continue to allow such indecent person to lead the House.
The Speaker disclosed that a five-member Committee to be headed by Hon. Kabiru Adjoto (Akoko-Edo Constituency I), will investigate the financial recklessness of the impeached Speaker from June 2015 to May 3, 2016, adding that if found wanting at the end of the three months when the Committee will submit its report, he will be handed over to appropriate authority for prosecution.
Also speaking, Hon. Adjoto Kabiru, said: “The impeached Speaker is violently corrupt who have flair for eating government money just the
way the red mouth squirrel has mouth for palm kernel as it is eating one, it is looking at another one that is how Edoror is.
“As it is today, Edoror has a lot of EFCC cases hanging on his neck. You media men can go and verify this. Ee cannot afford to have a Speaker that is being investigated by the EFCC because of his corrupt nature.
“As earlier mentioned by our new Speaker, Edoror has a corrupt tendency that cannot be mentioned. Enough is enough, that is why 16 members of the House today signed impeachment notice against him. As we speak today, both APC and PDP members in the House signed impeachment notice against him,” Adjooto said.
Sixteen members signed the impeachment notice circulated to journalists immediately after the House proceedings while seven declined.