Douglas Ogbankwa Esq.
Edo State House of Assembly was inaugurated by 9:30pm on the 13th of June,2020 at night based on a Report by the National Assembly Adhoc Committee on Edo State House of Assembly.
No Invitations was sent to 14 out of the 24 Members.
Only about 10 Members are currently Sitting
Those 14 Members till now have not been inaugurated.
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria stipulates that the House of Assembly of a State shall comprise not less than 24 Members and not More than 42.Edo State House comprises of only 10 Members. Can Edo State be said to have a House of Assembly?
The Speaker woke one Morning and declared the Seats of the 14 Members Elect Vacant ,with out fair Hearing as Guaranteed by the Constitution and at variance with the decision of the Law Lords in Usman v. Kaduna State House of Assembly, where the Court stated that you can not declare the Seat of a Member of the House of Assembly vacant,let us even assume, but not concede that they are Members for the purposes of argument ,with out giving him an opportunity to be heard as to why he has not been attending Proceedings at the House .
Now ,theEdo State House of Assembly Meets at the Edo State Government House, where as,the Supreme Court has stated Per Justice Olabode Rhodes -Viviour (JSC) in the case of:
Danladi v. Taraba State House of Assembly,that the Business of the House of Assembly,must be done in the hallowed Chambers of the House of Assembly and no where else , with the Requisite Quorum at Parliamentary Hours ,in full public glare to ensure public scrutiny and Public View of its activities as the House of Assembly of a State is not a Secret Cult but a Representatives of the People who should be Honourable Men,who must follow the Rules at all times .
My name is Douglas Ogbankwa Esq.,
And “I will stand for what is right ,even if I stood alone “.
-Chief Gani Fawehinmin SAN.
