Warri South Legislature Suspends Three Members Over Impeachment Threat
By Our Correspondent
* Impeachment is not an offence- embattled Councilor, Edah responds
Several months after majority of the councilors in Warri South legislative Arm sensationally impeached its former Leader, Hon. Sunday Aguweye, Deputy Leader, Hon. Richard Pessu and other key leaders, and replaced them with a new leadership against the interests of some of their political leaders, the House on Tuesday January 10 suspended three of its members over alleged “plot to impeach the leadership of the House,”.
The three legislators who have been asked to proceed on indefinite suspension pending when the findings against them are investigated are: Hon. Darlington Semuge, Hon. Hesse Edah and Hon. Jude Onovughe, the only first-time councilor amongst the three embattled lawmakers as well as staunch loyalist of President General of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, Chief Emmanuel Okumagba.
In a letter addressed to the Chairman of Warri South Local Government, Hon. Matthew Mofe Edema, the Warri South legislators cited, “order (i & iii) pages 15 & 16 of the Standing Order of the House,” as basis for their action.
The letter dated 10th January 2017 and signed by the Clerk of the House, Comrade Affor Godfrey Maku, insisted that the embattled members are “suspended from all legislative functions and benefits except salaries.”
Our Correspondent reports that the motion to suspend the three Councilors was moved by the Chairman, House Committee on Public Petition/Public Account, Hon. Kingsley Edafiadjebra and seconded by Hon. Kingsley Tenumah, a close ally of one of the suspended Councilors, Hon. Darlington Semuge.
The House immediately set up an Adhoc disciplinary Committee to be Chaired by Deputy Leader of the legislature, Hon. Matthew Dada.
Other members of the disciplinary Committee are: Hon. Romeo Ogedegbe, Hon. Kingsley Edafiadjebra and Hon. Daniel Alidu.
In a swift reaction, one of the suspended Councilors, representing GRA Ward, Hon. Hesse Edah (popularly known as Koffi) declared, “impeachment is not an offence. They impeached people to come in and nobody suspended them. They did not have 2/3 majority to carry out any suspension, they only formed quorum to seat and not to take decision.
“Their action is illegal, unconstitutional, null and void. I’m not suspended and they have no legal right to do that, because what they had was only 1/3 majority, which is not up to the required 2/3 to suspend or impeach as the law stipulates.”
