The house of representatives has
recommended the immediate suspension of Ovie Omo-Agege, senator representing
Delta central, for 180 legislative days over the theft of the senate mace.
The house also recommended the
immediate prosecution of the lawmaker and six other suspects for “treasonable
felony, assault occasioning harm, conspiracy to steal and actual theft of the
mace”, the symbol of authority of the parliament.
The house made the
recommendations after considering the report of the committee set up to
investigate the mace theft.
In May, suspected thugs invaded
the senate chamber and ran away with the mace.
The hoodlums were alleged to be
led by Omo-Agege who had attended plenary on that fateful day, despite being on
suspension.
Both the house of representatives
and senate subsequently set up a joint ad-hoc committee to investigate the
incident.
During the house committee of the
whole meeting on Tuesday, Betty Apiafi, a lawmaker from Rivers state and
co-chairperson of the committee, submitted the panel’s reports for
consideration.
“Senator Omo-Agege actually asked
the security people to allow the men (the thugs) to come in; that was why they
came in,” she said.
“They came in and forced
themselves into the chamber and overpowered the sergeant-at-arms. And you know
the security operatives are not allowed into the chambers.”
Some of the committee’s
recommendations are:
- That senator Omo-Agege be prosecuted for incitement and breach of peace in the chamber of the senate and contempt ex-facie.
- That the Nigeria police preliminary investigation of the issue should be intensified with a view to bringing those found culpable into custody.
- That the Legislative House Act should be amended to clearly vest the power of maintaining peace and order within the fhwmber and precincts of legislative houses in the sergeant-at-arms of any house.
- That the Nigeria police investigation should be concluded immediately to allow for prosecution of the defaulters.
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