The Benue State House of Assembly on Tuesday suspended its former Speaker, Aondona Dajoh, over allegations of plotting to impeach Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The motion for his suspension was moved by Terna Shimawua, member representing Kyan State Constituency, and seconded by James Umoru of Apa State Constituency.
Interestingly, Shimawua — who moved the motion — had been suspended just last week Friday by Dajoh before his resignation as Speaker.
Speaker Alfred Berger, who presided over the motion, reduced Dajoh’s suspension from six to three months and did so without putting the matter to a vote, which is usually the practice.
In another dramatic turn on Tuesday, the Assembly reversed its earlier stance and confirmed the nomination of Timothy Yangien Ornguga as commissioner.
Ornguga, a law lecturer at Benue State University, had previously been rejected by the Assembly under Dajoh’s leadership.
However, the new Speaker, Berger, while reading Governor Alia’s letter, proceeded to screen five additional nominees, including Ornguga.
According to Berger, the governor insisted that both Ornguga and James Dwem — previously rejected — had not been convicted of any crime despite petitions filed against them, and therefore appealed for their confirmation.
Surprisingly, lawmakers who had earlier opposed the nominations offered no resistance as the Speaker confirmed the two nominees without the traditional voice votes.
The Assembly also lifted the suspension placed on three political appointees by the governor. They are Grace Adagba, Chairman of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board; Maxwell Ogiri, Chairman of Otukpo Local Government; and Michael Uper, Secretary of the State Lottery Board.