Edo Speaker declares 14 seats vacant – TheNigerialawyer

…Okiye is a member-elect like us, ex-Speaker

The crisis rocking the Edo State House of Assembly took another
twist on Wednesday as Speaker Francis Okiye declared 14 seats
vacant.

The 14 seats declared vacant are those of the 12 members-elect
that are yet to present themselves for inauguration and two
lawmakers that allegedly absconded after being inaugurated.

Those whose seats were declared vacant were Chris Okaeben (Oredo
West), Crosby Eribo (Egor) Washington Osifo (Uhunmwode) Ugiagbe
Dumez (Ovia North East 1) Vincent Uwadiae ( Ovia North East 11)
Sunday Aghedo (Ovia South West) Victor Edoror (Esan Central)
Emmanuel Agbaje (Akoko-Edo 11) Eric Okaka (Owan East) Micheal
Ohio-Ezo (Owan West) Oshoma Ahmed (Estako Central) Kingsley Ugabi
(Estako East) and Ehi Ekhosuehi (Oredo West).

Okaka and Ekhosuehi were the two lawmakers whose seats were
declared vacant for not meeting mandatory sitting requirement to
continue as members of the House.

The 12 members-elect and the two other lawmakers have been in
Abuja since June and they have been demanding for a fresh
proclamation to be issued and a proposed inauguration
conducted.

Making the announcement during an emergency plenary session
Wednesday, Speaker Okiye urged the Independent National Electoral
Commission to conduct bye-elections for the affected constituencies
within 90 days.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Yekini Idiaye, representing
Akoko Edo State Constituency I, who spoke to newsmen, explained
that two of those affected from Oredo East and Owan East, were
sworn-in but failed to meet the mandatory 181-day sitting
requirement for a member in a calendar year.

He said, “For others, who hadn’t been inaugurated since the
proclamation of House, their constituents have been complaining and
have come to us that they want their voices and concerns to be
heard at the House.

“So, people who are willing to provide quality representation
have to be elected to bring the matters of the distraught
constituents to the floor for debate and legislation, where
necessary.”

Reacting to the declaration of seats vacant, Okaeben said Okiye
has no powers to make such pronouncement or asked INEC to conduct
bye-elections.

Okaeben stated that Edo, currently, has no House of Assembly as
spelt out by the Nigeria Constitution.

He said the House did not also form a quorum.

His words, “They want us to toe the path of violence but we have
said nobody’s blood is worth a seat in the Assembly. We will pursue
our case in a constitutional way. We have no problem with Governor
Obaseki since he said he has issued a proclamation.

“The Clerk did not invite us to any inauguration. A proper
inauguration is what we will attend. Okiye has said nothing
today.”

On what they would do if INEC decided to conduct bye-elections,
Okaeben said Prof. Mahmoud is not a dull person not to know the
truth.

A former Speaker of the Edo Assembly, Hon Victor Edoror, said
his constituents are happy with his decision to stay away from what
he termed illegal Assembly.

Edoror said, “Okiye is not a Speaker. He is a member-elect like
us. The Constitution is clear on how many members should be in an
Assembly.

“Okiye has no powers to declare our seats vacant. All what is
happening in the Edo Assembly are illegal and they will be swept
out. My people are happy with me.”

General Ezugwu Produce Military Armoured
Vehicle

The attention of the Nigerian Army (NA)has been drawn to an
online publication on Nairaland Forum/Nairaland with a caption –
“Meet Emmanuel Ezugwu: Military War Vehicle Named After Him”.

In the light of the above erroneous and misleading publication,
the NA finds it necessary to correct the gross misrepresentation
and wrong assertion and to put the records very clear that the
Emmanuel Ezugwu referred to in the publication is NOT the brain
behind the Nigerian Army locally manufactured Mine Resistance Anti-
Ambush Protected Vehicle (MRAP).

The NA MRAP was indeed conceptualized, invented and designed by
a serving army General – Major General Victor Okwudili Ezugwu the
current Director General Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria.
Major General Victor Okwudili Ezugwu NOT Prof Emmanuel Ezugwu not
only conceptualized and designed the production of the first ever
Nigerian made MRAP, but also diligently supervised the production
from the beginning to the end at the Army Command Engineering Depot
(CED), Kaduna.

For record, history and posterity, find below a brief history of
Maj Gen Victor Okwudili Ezugwu and the MRAP:

Maj Gen Victor Okwudili Ezugwu was born on the 28 June 1964. He
joined the Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna on 27 September 1985 as
a member of 37 Regular Combatant and Commissioned to the rank of
2Lt on 22 September 1990.

An infantry officer of high professional rating, he served
Nigeria meritoriously in ECOMOG/UN Operations in Sierra Leone and
Liberia and Operation RESTORE HOPE in Niger Delta. He commanded 28
Task Force Brigade in Adamawa State and 7 Division Maiduguri as
General Officer Commanding from 2015 – 2017. He was appointed
Director General Defence Industries Corporation on 3 June 2019.

An engineer by mere providence and passion, he initiated the
design and production of prototypes variants of Light, tactical
patrol as well as Armoured Fighting Vehicles by DICON-CED Kaduna.
In recognition of these feats, the Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen TY
Buratai rewarded his achievements by naming the first indigenous
MRAP as Ezugwu.

SAGIR MUSA
Colonel
Acting Director Army Public Relations
4 December 2019