There was drama on Tuesday morning at the premises of the Niger State
House of Assembly as members broke the lock on the gate used by the
Police to prevent them from sitting to commence impeachment proceedings
against the Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu.
The members, who are 21 in number, out of the 27-member Assembly, already formed over the two-third majority required to carry out the impeachment process.
However, the mace and the Clerk to the House of Assembly were nowhere to be found.
This put the process on hold.
The unrelenting members vowed to continue sitting despite the fact that the Complex was brimming with security operatives.
A member told journalists: “We will go all out to impeach those who are stumbling blocks in the state.
“The reason for this action is severance allowance, non payment of salaries and other entitlements.”
Another aggrieved member said: “They are owing each of us about N18 million as entitlements.
“
This was after paying us half salaries since February this year.”
The Police had in the early hours of Tuesday locked the gate to prevent coming in or going out by members and staff of the House.
This, supposedly, was to prevent the members from forming a quorum to move for the impeachment of Aliyu.
Angered that their members were locked out, some members of the Assembly, who were inside stormed, the gate and ordered the most senior officer guarding the gate to open it.
But the police officer, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said he was not with the keys of the gate.
To this end, the legislators, after pleading with the DSP to no avail, got a stone and proceeded to break the padlock.
Angrily, they shouted: “Are we prisoners?
“Did we beat anyone?
“Did we cause riot?
“Why should you lock us in?
“These people are trying to create trouble when there is no trouble.”
The members, who are 21 in number, out of the 27-member Assembly, already formed over the two-third majority required to carry out the impeachment process.
However, the mace and the Clerk to the House of Assembly were nowhere to be found.
This put the process on hold.
The unrelenting members vowed to continue sitting despite the fact that the Complex was brimming with security operatives.
A member told journalists: “We will go all out to impeach those who are stumbling blocks in the state.
“The reason for this action is severance allowance, non payment of salaries and other entitlements.”
Another aggrieved member said: “They are owing each of us about N18 million as entitlements.
“
This was after paying us half salaries since February this year.”
The Police had in the early hours of Tuesday locked the gate to prevent coming in or going out by members and staff of the House.
This, supposedly, was to prevent the members from forming a quorum to move for the impeachment of Aliyu.
Angered that their members were locked out, some members of the Assembly, who were inside stormed, the gate and ordered the most senior officer guarding the gate to open it.
But the police officer, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said he was not with the keys of the gate.
To this end, the legislators, after pleading with the DSP to no avail, got a stone and proceeded to break the padlock.
Angrily, they shouted: “Are we prisoners?
“Did we beat anyone?
“Did we cause riot?
“Why should you lock us in?
“These people are trying to create trouble when there is no trouble.”
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