From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Kogi State House of Assembly has described the three impeached and suspended members of the House as black legs whose stock in trade was to cause disharmony between the executive and legislative arms of government.
The house position followed the deliberation on the discovery that the suspended lawmakers forged members signatures in what the house described as evil machinations to impeach the Speaker.
It would be recalled that the former Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ahmed Ahmed, former majority Leader, Hon. Abdullahi Bello and Hon. Moses Ododo, former Chief Whip, who were last week impeached and suspended, however, released a statement claiming to have impeached the Speaker by a notice signed by nineteen members.
Consequently, the House at its plenary on Wednesday ordered it’s Ethics and Privileges committee to commenced investigation into the alleged forgery as members whose signatures were found in the documents have denied ever signing any impeachment notice against the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mathew Kolawole.
All the members who spoke on the issue denied the signatures attached to the purported impeachment notice adding that it was signatures signed by members in May this year endorsing the Presidential Aspiration of Gov. Yahaya Bello.
Members maintained that though, the members in question are already on suspension, the issue should be thoroughly investigated and appropriate punishment meted on them to serve as deterrent to others.
The House members described the actions of the former Principal Officers as shameful, reprehensible and demanded an unreserved apologies from them.
Ruling on the matter, the Speaker, Prince Mathew Kolawole described the action of the three suspended members as a gross violation of the house rules and privileges.
He directed the Chairman ethics and privileges to do a diligent investigation on the matter by giving the accused members fair hearing and report back to the house.
Kolawole also thanked members for believing in him, promising that the house under his leadership would continue to work harmoniously with the executive to provide the much needed dividends of democracy to the people of the state.
No time frame for the submission of the report was given.
Members who spoke at the plenary to disown the purported impeachment notice signatures are: Hon. Ahmed Dahir, Hon. Isah Umar, Hon. Enema Paul, Hon. Atule Egbunu and Hon. Ibrahim Usman.
Others are: Okadigbo, Hon. Suleiman Musa Atajachi, Hon. Bobby Anthony Ujah, Hon. Aro Aderonke, Hon. Musa Jomoh,Hon. Akande Moses respectively.
