Lawmakers Flee As Suspected Thugs Invade Benue Assembly, Smash Cars

Some members of the Benue State House of Assembly yesterday took to their heels as men, suspected to be thugs besieging the complex to give cover for some members who were there to sign the last-minute bills earlier sent by the state government which most members allegedly refused to sign and boycotted.

Our correspondent gathered from an insider who alleged that the PDP led government brought thugs to the complex to beat up members.

On seeing the thugs, some of the assembly members who were already in the assembly complex and were not on the same page with the governor had to flee the complex for safety and their vehicles were smashed by the thugs

Member representing Tiev Constituency, Terkaa Ucha in a telephone interview said he had to flee because the chairman, House Committee on Education said he got reliable information that he and some other members were penciled down for beating by the thugs. 

According to him, “the last minutes bills include audited public accounts bill, Bill to amend the law for tertiary institutions which enable him appoint rectors for all the Polytechnics following the elapse of their tenure, as well as the bill for governor’s pension retirement benefits.

“What matters is that these bills were still under my care and I have never laid them on the floor of the House, so they went to my secretary, intimidated him and asked him to bring the bills without my consent, they haven’t signed any of the bills but the 17 out of 30 member that were conscripted to sit today still went ahead and passed it. I ran for my life because I cannot be party to mischief.”

When asked about the Pension Bill which was recently sent to the assembly by the governor, Ucha said the Pension Bill cannot be passed because the governor is not pension friendly.

According to him, my secretary was compelled by the suspected thugs to bring the photocopy of the bills to use for deliberations on the floor of the House because I was not around.

It was also gathered that Benue State government has promised to give each member N80, 000 to enable them pass the bills especially that of Tertiary institutions to enable him appoint rectors all the State Polytechnic before his exit, however Ucha said he was not aware of the development because he can’t imagine being part of such mischief.