Five members of the Benue State House of Assembly have been suspended after they were accused of changing the findings of a committee report to protect the Chairman of Otukpo Local Government, Maxwell Ogiri, from possible sanctions.
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The suspension was announced on Tuesday through a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Terver Zamber. It will last for three legislative sittings. The affected lawmakers are Shimawua Terna, Mathew Damkor, Cephas Dyako, Moses Egbodo, and Isaac Echekliye.
LIST OF APPLICATIONS FOR REGULARISATION OF AREA COUNCIL LAND DOCUMENTS NULLIFIED/CANCELLED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FCT
All five lawmakers served on the House Standing Committee on Local Government, Security and Chieftaincy Affairs, which was responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct against the Otukpo council chairman. The committee’s report was expected to present the findings to the full House for deliberation.
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LIST OF APPLICATIONS FOR REGULARISATION OF AREA COUNCIL LAND DOCUMENTS NULLIFIED/CANCELLED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FCT
However, during the presentation, the lawmakers reportedly deviated from the original content of their report. The altered version appeared to downplay or omit key details about allegations against Ogiri, which included misappropriation of funds, abuse of office, and the illegal shutdown of the Otukpo Legislative Chamber.
This action triggered outrage within the Assembly, prompting leadership to set up a separate five-member ad-hoc committee headed by Hon. Elias Ipusu to carry out a fresh investigation into the matter.
The Assembly said the suspension was necessary to ensure accountability and protect the integrity of its proceedings. The leadership accused the suspended lawmakers of attempting to cover up the truth, which they said goes against the values expected of public officials.
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