Bias, Incompetency: Speaker Aniekan Bassey may face Impeachment

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly yesterday erupted during plenary as an external influence from the Executive arm of government affected smooth legislative activities leading to members expressing anger with the Speaker Mr. Aniekan Bassey and his Deputy, Felicia Bassey.

Members of the Assembly who spoke with THE INK reporter expressed dismay and shock over what they described as the Speaker's inability to stand his grounds and carry on a simple legislative assignment.

Our reporter understands that the House of Assembly was billed yesterday to amongst other things listen to an interim Report of the House Committee on Judiciary, Justice, Human Rights and Public Petitions on Alleged Gross Misconduct and financial impropriety against the Chairperson of Nsit Atai Local Government Council, Lady Emem Ibanga as was listed on the order paper for the day.

The item was billed to be the last issue to be deliberated upon before the sitting be adjourned.

But while proceedings was on, the  Speaker sensing that he will be asked to stand down the item from some powers that be is said to have ignored all calls from some external influences including the Governor's wife and Hon. Udo Ekpenyong had to cover the face of his phone on his desk after putting it on silence.

Assembly sources told THE INK reporter that the Deputy Speaker Princess Felicia Bassey played a fast one on the Speaker and his Colleagues when she stepped out of the Chambers to make phone calls. She is said to have returned into the chambers and walked straight to the Speaker and over her phone to Speaker Aniekan Bassey.

The Speaker is said to have in a flagrant abuse of all known protocols stepped outside of his desk to receive the call that came in from the Deputy Speaker's phone.

This attitude of the Speaker Assembly members say is unheard of in any legislative sitting ever in the History of the State.

Upon his return from what some members of the Assembly described as unceremonious call, Speaker Aniekan Bassey is said to have invited the Leader of the House Comrade Udo Kerian Akpan to approach him where he whispered to the House leader to ignore the last item on the order paper and call for adjournment.

The Leader of the House is said to have accepted. But the tricks backfired as over ten members of the Assembly led by House members representing Nsit Atai, Rt Hon. Mark Esset; Ibesikpo Asutan, Rt Hon. Aniekan Uko and Ikono, Hon Asuquo Udo resisted the attempt not to entertain the report from the House Committee on Judiciary and Public petition.

THE INK understands that Aniekan Bassey tipped off the House Leader Udo Kerian Akpan on the new development arising from the call he received through the Deputy Speaker's phone.

Some House of Assembly members confirmed to THE INK that the call may have come from Her Excellency, Dr Martha Udom Emmanuel with a caveat that any reading or action that may lead to the suspension of the Nsit Atai Council Chairperson should be halted with immediate effect.

The House of Assembly was thrown into a rowdy session at that instance for over fifteen minutes as members made diving approach at the Speaker's table with a view to stampeding him into acting in line with what was earlier agreed at the Executive session.

It took the intervention of the Speaker, the Clerk, Seargent at arms and some Lawmakers to restore normalcy in the legislative Chambers.

When adjournment was eventually achieved, members invaded the office of the Speaker where a marathon meeting was held for over one hour discussing the betrayal from their leaders.

Four members of the House of Assembly hinted THE INK reporter that the Governor of the State Mr. Udom Emmanuel had earlier given tactical support that the axe be dangled on Emem Ibanga if she is guilty of financial fraud as overwhelming evidences proves so. But the failure of the Speaker to effectively execute that may have a way of painting the Uruan lawmaker as a man who failed to rise up to the demand of financial transparency.

Lawmakers are however bent on ensuring that they take their own pound of flesh from the Nsit Atai Chairperson with a threat that anyone who intends to stand on their way may however be taken off.

When asked whether yesterday's action of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker constitutes an impeachable offense, our sources responded that the consensus amongst members is that they may forgive Speaker Bassey, but for the Deputy Speaker, it may be difficult as an impeachment notice may be instituted against her anytime soon except something drastic is done.

Meanwhile, in a face saving measure, the Speaker and his members of the House of Assembly sat in an emergency sitting and without recourse to fair hearing announced the suspension of the Council Chairmen of Nsit Atai and Uyo, Mrs. Emem Ibanga and Imo Okon respectively.

Lawyers have however argued that the suspension is illegality as the Council helmsman were not given fair hearing.