Nigeria

Nigeria

Delta lawmakers impeach Speaker, deputy
From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba and John Abba-Ogbodo

THE Delta State House of Assembly Speaker Olise Imegwu and his Deputy, Funkekeme Solomon, were yesterday impeached by their colleagues.


To replace them, Mr. Martin Okonta and former Speaker, Basil Ganagana, were elected.

Imegwu and Solomon took over in June 2007.

A motion by Mr. Sam Obi, which was unanimously adopted by the legislators, led to the impeachment and the slamming of a three-month suspension on the former Speaker and his deputy.

Solomon had earlier been suspended for three months following a mayhem in the House and the brutal assault on former Speaker Frank Enikorogha by some unknown roughnecks right on the premises of the House in Asaba.

The impeachment followed a motion by Obi during the screening of nominees for appointment as non-ex-officio members into the Delta State Judicial Service Commission. He had interjected into the proceedings by saying that he had a motion but was overruled by Imegwu.

With 20 out of the 26 members backing the impeachment notice, which Obi unfolded when he finally took to the floor, the Speaker and his deputy were removed for the "great embarrassment" which the on-going crisis in the House had caused.

The motion was seconded by the member representing Isoko South Constituency, Benjamin Efekode.

Enekorogha as Speaker extempore conducted the proceedings, which led to the ouster of the Speaker and his deputy.

And, National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Vincent Ogbulafor, yesterday expressed the party's concern over the crisis that has engulfed its Delta State chapter.

He also summoned the warring factions to appear before the PDP National Working Committee next Wednesday.

Ogbulafor, who expressed his concern over the matter when officials of a faction in the feud paid him "a courtesy" visit, noted that everybody in the party could not be governors or chairmen at the...