.Insists speaker should comply with house rules
Sylvester Idowu in Warri
A frontline political pressure body, South South Reawakening Group (SSRG), has appealed to Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, to comply with the House Rules by ensuring that Hon. Frederick Agbedi representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency, Bayelsa State, who is a fourth term member steps in as the Minority Leader.
The group, in a statement signed by its Convener, Joseph Ambakederimo, made the appeal yesterday, noting that it is only appropriate for a higher ranking member of the House from the South-south region, Hon. Agbedi to replace Hon. Kingsley Chinda from the same region who recently vacated the position to contest for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
“In allocating positions of principal officers has been by ranking. The fit and proper member to be selected to occupy the position of Minority Leader should be Hon. Fredrick Agbedi, the Member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, who is on his fourth term thereby making him a ranking member over Ikenga Ugochinyere.
“The Speaker of the House of Representatives Honourable Tajudeen Abbas is hereby called upon to strictly follow the House Rules as enshrined in the House Rule Book. Also we are urging that it is only fit and proper that another House Member from South-south geopolitical zone be made to succeed the outgoing Minority Leader with another South-south Member to balance representation in the House of Representatives,” he said.
He further called on the Speaker to immediately set machinery in motion to investigate the allegation by a member that his name was included in the list of those routing for Ikenga without his knowledge , adding that the speaker should investigate the allegation rather than make any attempt to proceed with the list.
He said the allegation of forgery reported in a prominent national newspaper and several other papers should not be treated lightly.
“It is unfortunate the news of forgery of signatures of members of the House of Representatives to affirm the name of Ikenga Ugochinyere as the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. As it is now the process is already tainted with untoward allegations of impropriety therefore the wise thing to do is to stop the process and invoke the relevant house rules to unearth those behind this shameful act, therefore we so urge the House leadership to do what is right.
“Proceeding to confirm Honourable Ikenga Ugochinyere as the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives with all the allegations of forging of signatures of members further illegitimises that office of the Minority Leader. The claim of Honourable Philip Agbese should be investigated perhaps there may be other House Members whose signatures may have been doctored as well but do not have the courage to speak out. Therefore a thorough investigation should suffice here,” he said.
Ambakederimo noted that for sake of fair representation at the leadership level of the House, the office of the Minority Leader vacated by a member from the South-south should be occupied by Agbedi from the same region.
