The Edo State House of Assembly has passed a resolution directing the state Chief Justice, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, to set up a seven-member committee to investigate allegations of gross misconduct made against Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu.
Allub Times reports that the House of Assembly passed the resolution during the plenary session on Tuesday.
Nineteen of the 24 members of the House of Representatives voted for the resolution.
Earlier, the Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, informed the House of Representatives that the seven-day ultimatum given to the deputy governor to respond to the impeachment notice served on him had expired.
Agbebaku said the notice of impeachment was served on the deputy governor on March 6, 2024, but the House of Representatives directed that he be served by alternative means due to alleged evasion of duty.
He said the replaced service was published in the state-run newspaper The Observer and the Vanguard newspaper on March 12, 2024.
According to him, the termination expired on March 19th.
In a motion, Majority Leader Charity Aiguobarueghan suggested that the Chief Justice be directed to establish a seven-member committee to investigate the petition against the lieutenant governor.
Aiguobarueghan stated that the application was in accordance with Section 188, Subsections 3 and 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria..
He pointed out that the Deputy Governor’s failure to respond to the petition at the scheduled time was not a problem because Section 188, Subsection 3, stated that “whether he responds or not, the House has a duty to perform.”
“That duty was bestowed by Section 188, Sub-section 3 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that a motion be moved, when it will be resolved that if these allegations are not denied, they are worthy of investigation.
“I am, therefore, moving a motion in pursuant to Section 188, Sub-section 3 and 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that is designed not to be argued.
“That the notice served on the deputy governor alleging gross misconduct be sent for investigation and that the Speaker cause the Chief Judge of the state to set up a seven-man committee to look at the allegations and report its findings to this House as soon as possible,” he said.
In a voice vote, 19 members voted in favour of the motion, representing more than two-thirds of the House members.
The Speaker then directed the Chief Justice to set up a seven-member committee to investigate the petition against the Deputy Governor.
