Benue Assembly Suspends Five Lawmakers Over Alleged Tampering of Committee Report to Shield Otukpo Chairman
The Benue State House of Assembly has suspended five of its members over accusations of doctoring a committee report in an attempt to exonerate the Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Mr. Maxwell Ogiri, from potential disciplinary action.
The suspension, which will span three legislative sittings, was officially announced on Tuesday through a statement issued by Mr. Terver Zamber, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Assembly.
According to the statement, the suspended lawmakers are Hon. Shimawua Terna, Hon. Mathew Damkor, Hon. Cephas Dyako, Hon. Moses Egbodo, and Hon. Isaac Echekliye. All five were serving as members of the House Standing Committee on Local Government, Security, and Chieftaincy Affairs at the time of the incident.
The Assembly stated that the lawmakers were sanctioned for allegedly manipulating the contents of a committee report presented on the floor of the House. The report was expected to address serious allegations against Chairman Ogiri, including financial misappropriation, abuse of office, and the unlawful shutdown of the Otukpo Legislative Chamber.
However, during the presentation, the committee, led by the five suspended lawmakers, reportedly strayed from the original findings. According to Zamber’s statement, “During the presentation of the report on the floor of the House, the chairman and members of the committee deviated from the real findings.”
Their actions sparked outrage within the Assembly, prompting the immediate formation of a five-member ad-hoc committee chaired by Hon. Elias Ipusu. This new committee has been tasked with conducting an independent and more thorough investigation into the allegations and the integrity of the original report.
The Assembly emphasized that the suspension of the lawmakers serves as a disciplinary measure for what it described as an attempt to obscure the truth and protect an official accused of misconduct. The House reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability, and due process in all legislative matters, particularly those involving public trust and misuse of public office.