TheCable

The house of representatives has asked Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, to appear before its committee on judiciary over his alleged role in the Kogi house of assembly crisis.

This followed a point of order moved by Nicholas Ossai, (Delta-PDP), who cited the attorney-general’s instruction to the inspector-general of police to reopen the assembly for proceedings.

Ossai described the move as unwarranted and unlawful.

In his contribution, Femi Gbajabiamila, majority leader of the house, described the action of the Abubakar as sad.

He said the resolution of the house to seal Kogi assembly was based on section 11 of the house’s rules.

Pally Iriase, who led the chamber’s delegation to Kogi, said as at the time when the house passed a resolution to take over legislative functions of the assembly, there was no matter in court.

Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house cautioned that sensitive matters like that should be treated with seriousness.

On his part, Muhammadu Bago (Niger-APC), called for the attorney-general’s resignation, saying he lacked the power to instruct the reopening of the assembly.

The legislators constituted a 22-member ad hoc committee headed by the majority leader to investigate the matter and report back in two weeks for further legislative attention.

The house resumed plenary on Tuesday after two weeks recess for the Easter celebration.

Meanwhile, the Kogi assembly has suspended 10 members for their alleged involvement in the leadership crisis rocking the state legislature since November 2015.

The suspension order issued on the floor of the house at plenary on Tuesday, followed the adoption of a report of the ad hoc committee commissioned on March 10.

The ad hoc committee was asked to investigate the sponsorship of the crisis and involvement of the national assembly and its failure to ensure due process even at the instance of a court injunction.

Presenting the report, John Abah (PDP-Ibaji), chairman of the ad hoc committee, said the committee found that the house of representatives was misguided by members who had interest in the crisis.

Abah said the situation in the state had not resulted to a breakdown of law and order for the national assembly to exercise its powers in invoking section 11(4) leaving out the provision of 11(5) of the constitution.

He said the 10 members had persistently fuelled the crisis and made it extremely difficult for the house to resolve the leadership impasse peacefully in order to carry out its lawful and constitutional responsibilities.

The committee, according to the chairman, recommended that all legal processes instituted in various courts be exhaustively determined to ensure due process, rule of law and justice to all parties.

Abah said it recommended that further deliberation on the action of the national assembly would be tantamount to prejudice and urged the house to restrain itself from engaging the national assembly on the matter.

The committee recommended that the 10 members indicted be suspended from sitting.

Theose suspended are Momo-Jimoh Lawal (PDP-Okene II), Matthew Kolawole (PDP-Kabba-Bunu), Aliyu Akuh (PDP-Omala), Victor Omofaiye (PDP-Ijumu) and Sunday Shigaba (PDP-Bassa).

Others are Alfa Momoh-Rabiu (APC-Ankpa II), Enenche Linus (APC-Olamaboro), Obaro Pedro (APC-Mopa-Muro), Ndako Idris (APC-Lokoja II) and Zakari Osewu (APC-Kogi-KK).