Assembly suspends deputy chief whip, 3 other members over chaos

The Benue State House of Assembly, presided by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Hyacinth Dajoh, has suspended four members, including the Deputy Chief Whip, Alfred Berger (APC/Makurdi North), for three months for attempting to cause chaos in the House.

The other suspended members were Shimawua Emmanuel (APC/Tiev), Cyril Ikong (APC/Oju II) and Abu Umoru (PDP/Apa).

The suspension followed a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer (APC/Mbagwa), during plenary on Friday in Makurdi.

Tiseer enjoined the House to suspend them for six months for attempting to cause chaos in the assembly.

The majority leader disclosed that the 10th Benue Assembly, like any other legislature, was a hallowed assembly of honourable members, whose words were their bonds.

He recalled that on Wednesday, the House, in the spirit of unity, passed a vote of confidence on its leadership as well as Gov. Hyacinth Alia’s administration.

Tiseer said that he was worried that barely three days after the house adopted resolutions on the matter, Berger and three others went behind to mobilise other members to cause chaos in the house.

The majority leader stated that the actions of the suspended members were inimical to the peaceful co-existence of the house and should not be tolerated.

He emphasised that the house condemned in the strongest terms the dishonourable actions of Berger and his cohorts.

Tiseer recommended that the house suspend the members for indulging in dishonourable actions capable of casting aspersions and causing acrimony in the house.

The motion was seconded by Mr Elias Audu (APC/Gwer East), saying that their actions were condemnable.

Audu further encouraged his colleagues not to allow non-state actors to use them, disclosing that the non-state actors had been intimidating the speaker and the house leadership.

Contributing, Mr Bemdoo Ipusu (APC/Katsina-Ala) said that he felt pained that a member who was a leader in the house would indulge in actions capable of jeopardising the peace and unity of the house.

The speaker, in his ruling, suspended the deputy chief whip and the three others for three months.

Dajoh further announced the dissolution of all committees and appointed Mr Elias Audu as the Chairman of the Information Committee.

He also appointed Mr Douglas Akya (APC/Makurdi South) as the new Deputy Chief Whip and Mr Kennedy Angbo (APC/Otukpo-Akpa) as the new Deputy Majority Leader. (NAN)