Reasons why Benue Speaker was impeached
Indication emerged yesterday that the former speaker of the Benue state House of Assembly Hon. Terkimbir Ikyange was impeached for allegedly shortchanging his colleagues in the purchase of official Toyota Prado Vehicles meant for members of the state Assembly.
A highly placed member of the Benue State House of Assembly journalists in Abuja that members of the House were allegedly given N10million in lieu of the cars instead of N13.9m approved and released by the Benue state government.
According to the member who did want his name mention because he was not authorized to speak, the embattled former speaker also allegedly diverted a whooping sum of N175m meant for the purchase of laptops and biometric equipments and other allowances and welfare packages for members of the state Assembly.
He maintained that Ikyange’s impeachment on Tuesday was legal and proper as prescribed procedural steps and relevant sections of the Assembly House standing rules were complied with.
He recalled that majority of the members of the Benue State House of Assembly have earlier about a week ago wrote the Clark of the House of Assembly requesting him to reconvene the Assembly.
About 22 members of the Assembly took the decision and impeached the former speaker.
He further added that the required number for the impeachment exercise 2/3rd ought to have been 20 members.
He said that the impeachment of the leadership of the state Assembly was purely on a motion for vote of no confidence that was duly passed by 22 members of the House of Assembly.
It should berecalled that, speaker of Benue State Assembly, Honourable Terkimbir Ikyange and three principal officers were detained last year by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The principal officers of the assembly were invited to Abuja over misappropriation of N750 million meant for the purchase of cars for the members.
Those Invited and detained but were later granted administrative bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission included the Deputy Speaker James Okefe and the Majority Leader Benjamin Adanyi.
