The House of Representatives has launched a probe into one of the legislators, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo State), who led some lawmakers in a solidarity visit to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Following a Motion by Hon. Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), who complained that the visit misrepresented him personally as a legislator, the Lower Chamber mandated its Committee on Ethics to probe the solidarity visit.
Ugochinyere led some 50 lawmakers to attend the first anniversary of the Governor in Port Harcourt.
Gagdi, citing Order Six Rule One, said his privilege as a member of the House was breached as the lawmaker misinterpreted the visit of those lawmakers to Governor Fubara to mean the visitors were representing the entire House.
The complainant cited Order Six Rule One to insinuate that his privilege as a member of the House was breached as the lawmaker misinterpreted the visit of some lawmakers to Mr Fubara.
As the arrowhead of a group of 60 lawmakers, christened G60, the highly vocal Ugochinyere has been issuing statements in support of the Governor, locked in a battle of wits with his predecessor, former Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike.
According to Gagdi, Ugochinyere issued a statement to the Press about the visit and gave the impression that the lawmakers represented the House.
Gagdi claimed that the lawmakers were members of the Local Content Committee and were in Rivers for an overnight assignment but used the opportunity to pay a courtesy visit to the governor.
“One of our colleagues issued a press statement that the delegation was in River State for a solidarity visit to the governor. It is okay to do a solidarity visit but not for members to be misrepresented. I urge the House to look for this publication and interact with Ikenga,” he said.
Gagdi added that such a statement issued by Ugochinyere was in bad taste and made the House look like it was taking a position in political matters.
He said that the report presented the story as though the members visited the Governor on behalf of the House whereas they were in Rivers for some oversight function originally before they decided to pay a visit to Rivers’ henchman.
In course of the Motion, some lawmakers in the Rivers delegation attempted to raise a point of order.
However, the Deputy Speaker, Ben Kalu, who presided over the session, disallowed them.
According to Deputy Speaker Kalu, points of privilege were not to subject to debate.
However, Hon. Mark Esset (PDP, Akwa-Ibom), spoke up and said that although he visited Governor Fubara, they never gave the impression of representing the House.
“There is freedom of association,” he said.
Thereafter, the Deputy Speaker referred the probe of Ikenga to the Committee on Ethics for investigation.
