Otukpo Legislature petitions Benue Assembly over closure of Chamber by LG Chairman

..Legislative Chamber is being renovated – Chairman

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The Otukpo Local Government Area, LGA, Legislative Council has petitioned the Benue State House of Assembly implicit the alleged suspension of its legislative concern by the Council Chairman, Maxwell Ogiri.

Leader of the legislative council, Philip Anya, successful the petition alleged that the Council Chairman suspended the legislative concern implicit alleged “frivolous” information concerns.

A missive that allegedly closed the legislative chamber, dated September 8, 2025, made disposable to newsmen connected Thursday and signed by the Secretary to the Local Government, Simon Idenyi, directed the Councillors to marque usage of societal media for their legislative concern for the clip being.

The missive partially read, “While the Chairman is precise overmuch mindful of the information that the postponement volition impact the creaseless moving of the legislative limb for the clip being, helium truthful cannot instrumentality the information proposal for granted.

“In presumption of this, Chairman wishes to proposal legislators to research different platforms specified as, Whatsapp, Facebook etc to heighten legislative concern for the clip being.”

The Anya led members successful their petition alleged that the Chairman ignored the directive of some the Governor and the Deputy to support the presumption quo connected the earlier removal of the Leader of the House.

The members not lone called connected the State Assembly to condemn the continued closure of Otukpo legislative limb of authorities but to besides acceptable up an adhoc committee to look astatine the study of the dissolved House lasting committee connected Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs implicit the alleged fiscal misconducts.

The Anya led members besides called connected the House to summon the Chairman “to archer them wherefore helium has continued to garbage to adhere to the directives of the Governor and the House to let the legislative limb function.”

The petitioners appealed to the “Benue State House of Assembly to instantly determination successful and instrumentality implicit the Otukpo Legislative Council and let the Councillors behaviour their regular sessions nether the watchful and protective eyes of the House of Assembly.”

When contacted, the Chairman who said helium was alert of the petition acknowleded the missive suspending legislative concern owed to information issues but said that the missive had been withdrawn and replaced with caller reasons.

Ogiri said that the crushed for suspending legislative concern was arsenic a effect of the ongoing enactment astatine the dilapidated legislative enclosure which helium said was not conducive for legislative business.

“Also, the assembly hallway that the legislators person been utilizing arsenic a impermanent enclosure is being occupied by the Idoma Area Traditional Council and the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for the enactment of the vacant stools successful Idoma land,” helium said.

Recall that Mr. Ogiri was earlier recommended for six months suspension by the State House of Assembly for alleged misconduct but the suspension was reduced to 1 period by Governor Hyacinth Alia.

He had hardly spent a week of the suspension erstwhile the caller Speaker of the House, Alfred Emberger lifted his suspension.

The Chairman who claimed helium lone resumed bureau connected Monday said that the impeachment of Philip Anya and the House bulk person was done without his knowledge.

He besides said that helium ne'er ignored the directive of the Deputy Governor to support presumption quo, saying the directive was fixed earlier helium assumed bureau connected Monday.

The station Otukpo Legislature petitions Benue Assembly implicit closure of Chamber by LG Chairman appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.