Edo Assembly Sacks Okiye As Onobun Emerges New Speaker

Edo State House of Assembly, yesterday, impeached its Speaker, Frank Okiye and elected Marcus Onobun, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member and representative of Esan West Constituency as the new Speaker.
Nine of the 10 lawmakers signed Okiye’s imp-eachment during Monday’s plenary presided over by Deputy Speaker, Roland Asoro. Okiye’s impeachment followed a motion moved by Majority Leader of the House, Henry Okhuarobo and seconded by representative of Akoko-Edo I, YekiniIdiaye.
Thereafter, represen- tative of Igueben Const-ituency, Ephraim Aluebhosele moved a motion to nominate Onobun as the new Speaker and seconded by representative of Akoko-Edo Constituency II, Emmanuel Agbaje.
After the impeachment, Asoro put the motion to a voice vote, which enjoyed the support of all members at plenary.
Responding to his emergence as the new Speaker, Onobun thanked the members for the confidence reposed in him and thereafter, dissolved all House’ standing committees and relieved the chairmen and appointees of their appointments.
He also constituted a three-man committee to review the financial records of the House under the leadership of Okiye and also placed the former speaker on a three-month suspension for a peaceful transition.
Sources said that Okiye’s removal was due to alleged financial misappropriation and high-handedness.
Meanwhile, leaders of Ijaw communities in Edo South Senatorial District have congratulated Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu on their victory at the September 19, 2020 governorship poll.