A group under the aegis of Benue State All Progressives Congress (APC) Elders Forum has described the recent motion introduced by the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Aba Moro, which calls for the National Assembly to intervene in the affairs of the Benue State House of Assembly as a desperate attempt to destabilize a performing APC administration in his home state.
The forum who spoke through Sen. Barnabas Gemade described such a motion as not only misguiding but also a demonstration of his lack of understanding of the constitutional process, urging him to go and vent his frustration on the Rivers State Assembly.
According to them, “the constitutional provisions of (sections 11(4)) which mandates the National Assembly to take over the functions of the State Assembly can only be activated when the State Assembly is unable to perform its functions for reasons of a situation prevailing in the state.”
They said, “This very next Section 11(5) explicitly defines the inability of the house to perform its functions as when the house is unable to hold a meeting and transact its business. Benue State House of Assembly has one leadership, enjoys full quorum at all sittings and has continuously been performing its functions. There is therefore no merit in Senator Aba Moro’s invitation to meddlesomeness,” the forum added.
“We wonder why Sen. Moro who, as a leader in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has turned a blind eye to the monumental crises affecting the River State House of Assembly where the PDP controlled State Government has chosen to recognize and deal with a three member faction of the River State House of Assembly. As elders in his state, we urge Sen Moro to focus on providing quality representation to his constituents rather than his desperate attempt to destabilize a performing APC administration in his home state.
“We want to urge the opposition to engage constructive criticism rather than seeking to undermine our progress. The APC Benue Elders’ Forum remains committed to supporting our state government and ensuring that Benue continues on its trajectory of development which had eluded the state in its recent past.
“Finally, we are calling on all stakeholders in Benue State to prioritize unity and cooperation, rather than divide and rule.”
