Speaker, Gbajabiamila shuts down motion to reverse Twitter ban

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila on Tuesday shut down a request seeking the federal government’s reversal of the ban on Twitter.

Kingsley Chinda, a PDP lamwker from Rivers state, in a point of order, asked the House to lobby the executive arm of government to lift the ban on the microblogging site, Twitter pending when the committee set up to look into the ban concludes its investigation.

He argued the ban infringed on the rights of Nigerians to freedom of expression.

Shutting down the point of order, Gbajabiamila said when a matter had been concluded and ruled upon, it cannot revisited.

He said; “It will be out of order to attempt to reconsider any specific matter which the House has concluded upon… unless there is a substantive motion.

“The matter has been sent to relevant committees of the House to investigate, and they will report to us in 10 days.

“Even though you have got a motion here, we would have referred it to the same committee, the motion would have been killed. You have not complied with order 9 rule 6, you are rued out of order.”

Undeterred, Chinda insisted on his demand, leading to a rowdy session. He subsequently led other PDP members as they staged a walk out during plenary.

Speaking with journalists after the walkout, Chinda, who is the leader of the PDP caucus, said the speaker’s ruling on the matter should have been debated to reflect the opinion of the lawmakers.

“Let me commend the decision of the leadership of the house to mandate relevant committees to investigate the ban on Twitter operations in Nigeria.

“We just want to add that the federal government should lift the ban pending the outcome of the investigation,” he said.

Bauchi speaker emerges new chairman of speakers conference

The Speaker of Bauchi State House of Assembly, Hon. Abubakar Suleiman has been elected as the new chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures in Nigeria.

Suleiman takes over from the speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa who has served out his tenure.

The constitution of the conference stipulates a two-year term of office for its elected leadership which rotates between the north and the southern part of Nigeria.

At a meeting held at Reiz Continental Hotel in Abuja late Thursday, Obasa, who, in 2018, took over from the Speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Ismail Kamba, formally handed over to Suleiman, who is now saddled with leading the conference for the next two years.

Other members of the committee include:

1. Deputy Chairman (Speaker Delta), Hon Sheriff Oborevwori

2. Treasurer (Speaker Kogi) Hon Matthew Kolawole

3. Financial Secretary (Speaker Enugu) Hon Edward Ubosi

4. Vice-Chair, North West (Speaker Katsina) Hon Tasiu Musa Maigari

5. Vice Chair, North East (Speaker Gombe) Hon Sadiq Ibrahim Abubakar

6. Vice-Chair, North Central (Speaker Plateau) Hon Abok Nuhu Ayuba

7. Vice-Chair, South West (Speaker Ogun) Hon Olakunle Oluomo

8. Vice-Chair, South East (Speaker Ebonyi) Hon Nwifuru Francis

9. Vice-Chair, South-South (Speaker Akwa Ibom) Hon Aniekan Bassey

Obasa’s tenure saw the push for financial autonomy for state legislatures and the judiciary as well as cooperation with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to achieve this.

Recall that President Buhari, on May 22, 2020, signed Executive Order 10 for the implementation of the financial autonomy after a committee report concerning the issue was handed over to him.

Edo Assembly Speaker impeached

The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Frank Okiye, was on Monday morning impeached.

Okiye’s impeachment notice was signed by nine out of the 10-member Assembly.

Though details of what led to the impeachment are still sketches, Tribune Online gathered that Okiye would have been removed last week but for the last-minute intervention by Governor Godwin Obaseki.

The Edo Assembly, as it is presently constituted, is made up seven Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, embers and three All Progressive Congress, APC, members.

14 other members-elect stayed off the inauguration of the House on June 17, 2019, when Governor Obaseki issued the proclamation for the inauguration of the legislative arm.

While the 14 others had on August 6, 2020, inaugurated themselves in a private residence at Ugbor GRA, of the state capital, Benin, where they elected Victor Edoror as the speaker.

Okiye, it would be recalled, had week decamped to the PDP alongside six other members, while the remaining three members, who participated in the June 2019 inauguration remain in the APC.

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