The Benue State House of Assembly has suspended the former Speaker, Aondona Dajoh, for three months for allegedly attempting to impeach Governor Hyacinth Alia.
Dajoh’s suspension followed the motion moved by the lawmaker representing Kyan State Constituency, Terna Shimawua, and seconded by James Umoru from Apa State Constituency during Tuesday’s plenary session.
Shimawua, who moved the motion, was one of those suspended last week Friday by Dajoh before his resignation as Speaker.
The Speaker, Alfred Berger, who ruled on the motion, reviewed Dajoh’s suspension from six to three months without the usual votes on such matters.
In a new twist on Tuesday, the Assembly made a U-turn and confirmed the nomination of Timothy Yangien Ornguga as commissioner.
Ornguga, a law lecturer at the Benue State University, was rejected last week by Dajoh.
However, the new speaker while reading a letter from Governor Alia on Tuesday, screened five more nominees, including the law professor.
Berger said the governor believed the two nominees — Ornguga and James Dwem — rejected by the former speaker have not been convicted of any crime despite the petitions submitted against their nominations, hence the appeal to clear them.
Surprisingly, the lawmakers who previously opposed their confirmation unanimously kept quiet when the speaker confirmed the two nominees without the usual voice votes.
The House also lifted the suspension on three political office holders, earlier suspended by the governor. They are the Chairman of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board, Grace Adagba; the Otukpo Local Government Chairman, Maxwell Ogiri; and the Secretary of the State Lottery Board, Michael Uper.
