Kogi Assembly Crisis: Lawal Resumes as Speaker under Tight Security

Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja

The G15 members of the Kogi State House of Assembly on Thursday resumed plenary with the embattled Speaker, Momoh-Jimoh Lawal, presiding over proceedings.

The G15 members who were prevented from entering the assembly complex by the police and the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel abandoned their vehicles and trekked to the complex.
On getting there, it was discovered that all staff of the assembly was not avaliable as the entrance was locked up.

The G15 which is determined to set their way into the hallow chamber and held their plenary.
There resumption was sequel to the May 19 Abuja Federal High Court judgment by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba annulling the purported impeachment and reinstating the Lawal-led leadership with an order for immediate resumption of the assembly under Lawal.

At the plenary which was devoid of the clerk of the assembly and legislative staff, Majority Leader, Matthew Kolawole (PDP-Kabba/Bunu), described the assembly as a large family, and urged members of the G-5 to join in the effort to move the state forward.

During the 15-minute plenary sitting, Mr. Sunday Shigaba of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from Bassa state constituency raised a Motion of Urgent Public Importance for the assembly to nullify the suspension placed on 10 members of the G15.

In the motion seconded by Victor Omofaiye from Ijumu, Shigaba appealed to members of the G5 to embrace peace and cooperate with the larger group to work for the growth and development of the state.

Earlier in his welcome speech, the speaker, Lawal, commended the “gallantry and selfless sacrifice” of the G15 members who according to him, in the face of all challenges stood against “injustice and anti-democratic tendencies that was at play.

“Today, our struggle for entrenchment of democracy in the state has paid off with the judicial pronouncements made on May 19, 2016. Permit me to commend the judiciary for standing by and for the truth.

“We must from now on, strengthen our resolve to defend and protect the mandate given to us. We must therefore, be ready to work extra miles to cover lost grounds,” he said.