The Benue State House of Assembly has suspended its former Speaker, Aondona Dajoh, for three months over allegations of planning to impeach Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The suspension, announced on Tuesday, followed a motion moved by Terna Shimawua, representing Kyan State Constituency, and seconded by James Umoru of Apa Constituency.
Shimawua, interestingly, was among those suspended by Dajoh last Friday, shortly before his resignation as Speaker.
Presiding over the matter, Speaker Alfred Berger reduced the suspension period from six months to three, without putting it to the usual vote of the House.
In another dramatic turn, the Assembly reversed its earlier decision and confirmed the nomination of Timothy Yangien Ornguga as commissioner.
Ornguga, a law lecturer at Benue State University, had been rejected under Dajoh’s leadership.
Reading a fresh letter from Governor Alia, Speaker Berger also screened and cleared five additional nominees, including Ornguga and James Dwem, who were previously rejected.
According to the governor, both men “have not been convicted of any crime despite the petitions submitted against their nominations,” hence his appeal for their approval.
In a surprise shift, lawmakers who had opposed the confirmations earlier did not raise any objection as the Speaker cleared the nominees without a voice vote.
The House also lifted the suspension on three officials earlier penalised by the governor: Grace Adagba, Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board; Maxwell Ogiri, Chairman of Otukpo Local Government; and Michael Uper, Secretary of the State Lottery Board.
