Deputy House leader, Deputy Chief Whip sacked over move to impeach Speaker
The Deputy House Leader, Aniekan Bassey and the Deputy Chief Whip, Nse Essien from Uruan and Onna, respectively, have lost their positions at the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
The officers were sacked sequel to a letter signed by 17 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House and addressed to Speaker Onofiok Luke, demanding a change in the two offices.
Daily Sun gathered that the sacked officers were in the forefront of a move to impeach Luke. This reportedly forced their colleagues to ask the speaker to remove them.
Consequently, the new deputy leader of the House is now Ime Okon, representing Ibiono Ibom State Constituency, while David Lawrence of Eket State Constituency has taken over as the deputy chief whip.
Okon, who maintains his position as chairman of the House Committee on Information, said “what happened is covered by the House Standing Orders, 2011, as adopted for use by the Sixth Assembly.”
He said members of the PDP in the House took advantage of House Order 1, Rule 6, sub 5, to effect the change, and added that Order 10, rule 2 states that the chairman of a committee shall be appointed by the speaker.
