Edo assembly: Senate gives Obaseki 1 week to issue fresh proclamation • I won’t — Obaseki
The Senate yesterday gave the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, one week to issue a fresh proclamation for the proper inauguration of the House of Assembly.
But Governor Obaseki had swiftly reacted saying he will not on the ground that the Senate had no authority to issue the directive.
The Senate resolution was passed following the consideration and adoption of the report of a Senate ad hoc committee on the Edo State House of Assembly crisis chaired by Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Abia).
The House of Representatives had earlier issued a similar directive after adopting the report of the Rep. Abdulrazak Namdas-led committee on the Edo assembly crisis.
The upper chamber also directed the Clerk of the Edo State House of Assembly to inform all the 24 members-elect of the new proclamation through the media in conformity with parliamentary best practice.
“In the event that a new proclamation is not issued as recommended within the period of one week, the National Assembly is at liberty to invoke Section 11, Subsection 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended),” the Senate said.
Senator Rochas Okorocha (APC, Imo) expressed reservation over the decision when he said, “It looks like the Senate is eager to take over the
Edo State House of Assembly.”
According to him, “This is a family problem of the APC which the leadership of the APC should have found a way to solve and not us stepping into the matter that I think we do not have the jurisdiction to do.
“We had a case here where the mace was taken away and no other ‘senate’ came to take over the Senate. I think the caucus of the APC should try and settle this family matter rather than making it a National Assembly issue.
“We must not be eager to take over the Edo State House of Assembly. What is happening there is a complete failure of leadership and they should resolve it.”
But a former Governor Ebonyi State, Senator Sam Egwu, said being a governor did not “mean that you have to do the wrong thing.”
“The clerk said the governor sent a letter that the proclamation would be done on the 17th by 3pm, but the report of the Commissioner of Police indicated that it was done by 10pm.
“Anything done in the night is a secret meeting, suspect and undemocratic. There was a purpose for that which was not good. If there is conflict among your members, the governor should be able to make peace and reconcile. For me, the governor did the wrong thing,” he said.
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said the Senate had rescued democracy by intervening.
“The National Assembly must insist on the right thing to be done, even by state governors. This is the home of democracy; it is the highest legislative chamber.
“I believe that the message is very clear. We want this issue resolved. We are not in a hurry to take over. The one week is to allow for the proper thing to be done,” he said.
Obaseki in statement yesterday by the Secretary to Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie, described the Senate’s resolution as unconstitutional and a flagrant disregard for the principle of separation of powers.
He advised those he described as powerful persons in Abuja not to set the state ablaze merely to satisfy their thirst for power and control.
“We wish to observe that the chairman and members of Ad-Hoc Committee of the Senate which visited Edo State were made to be aware of the existence of at least three suits pending before various courts in which factual and legal dispute regarding the inauguration of the house have been submitted to the Courts by both contending parties for resolution.
“The Edo State Government maintains that there is nowhere in the Constitution particularly Section 11(4) which enables the National Assembly to ‘take over’ any House of Assembly or in this respect, the Edo State House of Assembly.”
“The Government of Edo State firmly believes that our State is not a colony or a vassal of any person or persons exercising power in Abuja and we shall take all necessary steps within the ambit of the law to defend and validate our position and actions on this matter,” he said.