Police carries out N’Assembly’s order, seals Kogi assembly

The order of the National Assembly for the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Solomon Arase, to seal the Kogi State House of Assembly, Lokoja, was today carried out, the police sealed assembly complex.

The state House of Assembly has been engrossed in leadership crisis for some weeks after a group of five members purportedly impeached the speaker with the alleged backing of the state governor, Yahaya Bello.

According to reports, the G5 members led by its speaker, Imam Umar who were scheduled to conduct budget defense at the assembly, were prevented from having access to the complex, as the road leading to the complex was barricaded by armed policemen who subjected staff of the assembly to scrutiny and only allowed them entry upon confirmation they are staff.

Commenting on the sealing of the complex, the deputy speaker of the G15 lawmakers, Mr Aliyu Akuh, insisted that the crisis rocking the assembly remained unresolved as the earlier directive of the House of Representatives to return to status quo ante was snubbed by the G5 group.

Read also: Police invade Ekiti, arrest 11 lawmakers, PDP chieftains’

However, the factioner speaker, Imam, faukted the action of the National Assembly, describing it as illegal.

According to him, since the matter was already in court, the seal order by the National Assembly amounts to illegality.

Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Umar Ali, Imam said the move by the National Assembly was aimed at hampering the progress of the state, arguing that the 2016 budget of the state is being affected.

It would be recalled that the House of Representatives had passed a resolution taking over the functions of the assembly and ordering the IGP to seal off the complex. The Senate later concurred with the resolution of the House.

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