Benue State House of Assembly has slammed a three-month suspension on 13 members of the House who disassociated themselves from the suspension of the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese.
Recall that the House Tuesday recommended the suspension of the Chief Judge over alleged gross misconduct, and abuse of office after which it adjourned plenary to March 24, 2015.
The suspension of the members, according to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Terver Zamber, was sequel to a motion by the Majority Leader of the House, Saater Tiseer.
The members were alleged to have indulged in what the House termed as “dishonourable actions capable of casting aspersions and causing acrimony in the House.”
According to the statement, “the 13 suspended members are to refund the funds paid to them for foreign trip to government coffers since they will no longer be embarking on the journey.
“The House also condemned in the strongest terms the dishonourable actions of the member representing Makurdi South Constituency, Mr. Douglas Akya, and Twelve others, some of whom after voting for the removal of the State Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambase, went out to address a Press Conference denying voting in favour of the motion to remove the Judge.
“The Speaker of the House, Chief Hyacinth Dajoh listed those suspended to include, Mr. Douglas Akya (Makurdi South), Mr. Jonathan Agbidye (Katsina-Ala East), Mrs. Beckie Orpin (Gboko East), Mr. Simon Gabo (Ushongo-Mata), Mr. Williams Ortyom (Agasha), Mr. Onah Blessed (Oju 1) and Mr. Elias Audu (Gwer East).
“Others are Mr. Anyor Mato (Kwande East), Mr. Manger Manger (Tarka), Mr. Solomon Gyila (Gwer West), Mr. Samuel Agada (Ogbadibo), Mr. Abraham Jabi (Buruku) and Mr. Ezra Nyiyongo (Ukum).”
Earlier in a motion, the Majority Leader, recalled that they had in the last sitting received a Complaint from the Attorney-General detailing allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, bribery and corruption, and other sundry allegations against the Chief Judge and after exhaustive deliberation, the House went into a division where 23 members out of 31 present voted in support of the recommendation to remove the Judge.
Mr. Tiseer disclosed that “after the House adopted resolutions on the matter, the 13 suspended members, some of who voted in support of the recommendation to remove Justice Ikpambase, publicly dissociated themselves from the process in which they took part, thereby contravening Order IX, Rule 58(6) of the House Standing Rules.
“The Majority Leader noted that the actions of the 13 members were not only dishonourable but an afterthought and a deceptive posture capable of causing acrimony and casting aspersions on the House and, among other prayers, called on the House to suspend them for a period of three months.”
