NASS Lacks Powers To Summon Benue Speaker – Lawmakers

Benue State House of Assembly has asked Speaker Hyacinth Dajoh to disregard the National Assembly Public Petition Committee‘s summons to appear before it on Thursday, May 8.

They argued that the summons contravenes the amended Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999).

The Assembly threatened legal action against the National Assembly and requested that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Inspector General of Police thoroughly investigate the people who signed the petition.

We want to call on the National Assembly Caucus from Benue State (Senate/ Reps) to come for proper engagement with the house to ascertain why the State is portrayed in a bad light at the National Assembly“

Lending his voice, the Majority Leader of the House, Saater Tiseer, said the notice sent by the National Assembly was out of ignorance.

According to him, by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, the Benue State House of Assembly is not answerable to the National Assembly, saying section 101 has given the house the powers to legislate on its business without external control“

Also speaking, a Member representing Katsina-Ala West State Constituency, Bemdoo Ipusu, accepted the house‘s decision to take the National Assembly to court and added that the house should include the Guidance of Democracy for misleading the National Assembly.

He noted that the group, in mentioning the names of the suspended members, mentioned Peter Uche, which shows that the group lacks knowledge of what transpired on the House floor that day.

I wondered why the National Assembly would want to take over the functions of the Assembly that is vibrant and performing its duties effectively, the three arms of government in the State are not fighting each other“

Members, including Michael Audu and Peter Uche, condemned the decision of the National Assembly in totality and urged the Speaker and the leadership not to appear anywhere.

Uche said he is still performing his duties in the house as elected and expected by his people, and wondered why the group included his name alongside those suspended. He said the act shows that the National Assembly was not adequately informed.