, Orders Refund Of Travel Funds
The Benue State House of Assembly has suspended 13 lawmakers for opposing the removal of the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese.
The suspension, announced during a plenary session on Wednesday, also includes an order for the affected lawmakers to refund funds allocated for an upcoming foreign trip, which they will no longer be undertaking.
The motion for suspension was moved by the Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer, who emphasized that the assembly, as a legislative institution, must uphold order and discipline.
He noted that on Tuesday, the House, with 31 members present, received a complaint from the Office of the Attorney-General detailing allegations of gross misconduct, bribery, and corruption against Justice Ikpambese.
Following deliberations, 23 out of the 31 members voted in favour of removing Ikpambese and appointing the next-in-line judicial officer as Acting Chief Judge.
However, the 13 suspended lawmakers opposed the decision, which the Majority Leader argued violated the House’s Standing Order IX, Rule 58 (6), prohibiting attempts to reconsider a concluded matter without a substantive motion for rescission.
He listed the suspended members as follows: Douglas Akya (APC/Makurdi South), Jonathan Agbidye (APC/Katsina-Ala East), Beckie Orpin (APC/Gboko East), Simon Gabo (APC/Mata), William Ortyom (PDP/Agasha), and Emmanuel Onah (PDP/Oju I). Others include Elias Audu (APC/Gwer East), Anyor Matu (APC/Kwande East), Manger Manger (APC/Tarka), Solomon Gyila (APC/Gwer West), Samuel Agada (APC/Ogbadibo), Abraham Jabi (APC/Buruku), and Ezra Nyiyongo (APC/Ukum).
The motion, seconded by Katsina-Ala West representative Peter Ipusu, accused the suspended members of mischief, noting that they actively participated in debates and voted in favour of recommending the Chief Judge’s removal, only to later deny their involvement.
Ipusu also insisted that the suspended members should refund funds allocated for foreign trips since they would no longer be travelling.
Makurdi North APC representative Alfred Berger supported their suspension, arguing that they had disrespected Speaker Dajoh and the House.
He maintained that their reinstatement should be contingent on publicly acknowledging their participation in the legislative process that led to their suspension.
Kwande West APC representative Thomas Digeri, however, appealed for a reduction of the suspension to one month.
Speaker Dajoh noted that he initially sought to defer the debate for wider consultations, but the suspended members pushed for an immediate resolution.
He noted that they actively participated and voted, questioning why they later denied involvement.
Dajoh further directed the suspended members to refund the foreign trip funds to the Ministry of Finance.
However, he condemned their actions in the strongest terms, stating that such behavior could sow discord and tarnish the House’s integrity.