By Patrick Ahanor
The battle for the soul of Edo state House of Assembly continued yesterday following a parallel plenary by the warring lawmakers.
The Assembly has been embroiled in crisis since June 9, following the suspension of three PDP legislators and deputy speaker, Festus Ebea, of the APC over by the House leadership.
Blueprint recalls that 15 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers sat inside the Government House for plenary, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction held theirs’ at the roofless assembly chamber- passing a resolution freezing parliament accounts.
Besides, the PDP faction during the sitting suspended speaker, Hon. Uyi Igbe, Majority Leader, Philip Shaibu, and six other APC legislators
for relocating sittings to Government House without resolution to that effect.
The majority leader had last week described the relocation of sitting to Government House as “temporary” and attributed the action to the ongoing renovation work at the Assembly.
Ebea, who stood in acting speaker for the PDP faction, also directed council chairmen to furnish the parliament with details of all revenue receipts of the state-local government joint accounts.
He directed Governor Adams Oshiomhole to pay the outstanding entitlements of the 926 sacked teachers who were recalled by the state government.
Ebea further described the renovation of the assembly complex by speaker Uyi Igbe-led leadership as “illegal,” adding that “I am the chairman of the committee on Tenders Board. The process did not pass through my table.”
At the Government House sitting, the APC lawmakers called on President Goodluck Jonathan to prevent breakdown of law and order in the state, accusing the police of fuelling the crisis.
