Efio-Ita Nyok|18 July 2016|7:57AM
'I concor! And Speakers of Houses of Assemblies too'.
—Emmanuel Etim
Special Adviser —Research and Strategy to the Honourable Speaker
17 July 2016
The above phrasal expression is credited to the Mr Emmanuel Etim who is the Special Adviser (Research and Strategy) to the Honourable Speaker of the 8th Cross River State House of Assembly (CRSHA), John Gaul Lebo, Mr Etim is also the President of Cross River State Youth Parliament and an articulate Development Consultant.
SA Etim made the above remark in reaction to a 16 July interview granted by Hon. Leo Ogor, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, who proposed immunity for presiding officers of National Assembly and state assemblies in this interview with JOHN AMEH of Punchng.com.
If we recall, Speaker John Gaul Lebo of CRSHA is seriously embattled by his pro-impeachment colleagues who are disappointed over his style of administration especially the underfunding of the 8th Assembly by the state Executive Council. In fact, on the 12 of July Rt. Hon. Lebo made an acerbic remark in the following words: It's unfair and indeed unfortunate that the Nigerian Political Elites see impeachment as a political tool to unsettle elected leaders; Impeachment is a strict constitutional requirement that can only be deployed as a last resort, it cannot be the first option; It amounts to reasoning like suicide bombers, whose only strategy is to kill and exterminate. There are too many ill equipped elites in this country.
Do you agree with SA Etim that Speakers and principal officers of states Houses of Assemblies be given immunity? Particularly, should the Office of the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly have the immunity clause applied on it?
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroidhaven.org (Negroid Haven)