Why Edo Assembly speaker was impeached
Issues revolving around financial impropriety yesterday led to the impeachment of the Speaker of Edo House of Assembly, Mr Francis Okiye.
It was also learnt that Okiye, who presided over the opening of the plenary yesterday before his colleagues moved the motion for his impeachment, quietly picked his papers and walked out of the session.
The impeached speaker was also slammed with a three-month suspension to allow for proper investigation of the allegation levelled against him.
The lawmakers elected the member representing Esan West constituency, Mr Marcus Onobun, as their speaker.
The impeachment was sequel to a motion moved by the leader of the House, Henry Okhuarobo, representing Ikpoba-Okha and seconded by the member representing Akoko-Edo 1, Yekini Idaiye.
The member representing Igueben, Mr Ephraim Aluebhosele nominated the new speaker and was seconded by the member representing Akoko-Edo 11, Emmanuel Agbaje.
The new speaker, Mr Marcus Onobun, thereafter dissolved the house standing committees.
He also constituted a threeman committee to probe the finances of the state parliament under the impeached speaker.
Until Okiye’s impeachment, all seemed to be well with 10 members of the house.
Recall that the state house assembly had been engulfed in crisis following the inauguration of 10 members, leaving out 14 members-elect.
Efforts to get the reaction of the impeached speaker were unsuccessful as several calls to his phone were not answered.