The Benue State House of Assembly has suspended the former Speaker, Aondona Dajoh, for three months as penalty for attempting to impeach the State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, over sundry allegations.
Dajoh’s suspension came barely two days after tendering his resignation as the number three citizen of the state, to quell the leadership crisis rocking the assembly.
In a dramatic twist that underscores the shifting balance of power within the Assembly, the former speaker, who only last week sanctioned fellow lawmakers before stepping down, now finds himself on the receiving end of legislative punishment.
The suspension was initiated through a motion raised on Tuesday by Kyan Constituency lawmaker, Terna Shimawua, and supported by Apa Constituency lawmaker, James Umoru.
The incumbent speaker, Alfred Berger, presided over the session and announced the decision, which was reduced from six months to three without the usual voting process.
Announcing the ruling, Berger stated that the measure was necessary to maintain discipline and order within the legislative arm, adding, “We must send a clear message that no one, no matter their position, is above the rules of this House.”
In a related development, the Assembly reversed its earlier stance by confirming Timothy Ornguga, a senior law lecturer at Benue State University, as commissioner.
Ornguga had previously been rejected under Dajoh’s leadership, but Governor Hyacinth Alia resubmitted his name alongside that of James Dwem, insisting that both men had no criminal convictions.
“The governor’s appeal was clear; both nominees have not been indicted by any court of law. On that basis, their names were resubmitted for screening,” Berger explained.
Lawmakers who had strongly opposed the nominees during Dajoh’s tenure surprisingly offered no resistance this time, allowing the confirmations to pass smoothly without debate or voice votes.
Also, the House lifted earlier suspensions placed on three government officials: Chairperson of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board, Grace Adagba; Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri; and Secretary of the State Lottery Board, Michael Uper.
