..Legislative Chamber is being renovated – Chairman
By Peter Duru, Makurdi
The Otukpo Local Government Area, LGA, Legislative Council has petitioned the Benue State House of Assembly over the alleged suspension of its legislative business by the Council Chairman, Maxwell Ogiri.
Leader of the legislative council, Philip Anya, in the petition alleged that the Council Chairman suspended the legislative business over alleged “frivolous” security concerns.
A letter that allegedly closed the legislative chamber, dated September 8, 2025, made available to newsmen on Thursday and signed by the Secretary to the Local Government, Simon Idenyi, directed the Councillors to make use of social media for their legislative business for the time being.
The letter partly read, “While the Chairman is very much mindful of the fact that the postponement will affect the smooth running of the legislative arm for the time being, he therefore cannot take the security advice for granted.
“In view of this, Chairman wishes to advice legislators to explore other platforms such as, Whatsapp, Facebook etc to enhance legislative business for the time being.”
The Anya led members in their petition alleged that the Chairman ignored the directive of both the Governor and the Deputy to maintain the status quo on the earlier removal of the Leader of the House.
The members not only called on the State Assembly to condemn the continued closure of Otukpo legislative arm of government but to also set up an adhoc committee to look at the report of the dissolved House standing committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs over the alleged financial misconducts.
The Anya led members also called on the House to summon the Chairman “to tell them why he has continued to refuse to adhere to the directives of the Governor and the House to allow the legislative arm function.”
The petitioners appealed to the “Benue State House of Assembly to immediately move in and take over the Otukpo Legislative Council and allow the Councillors conduct their regular sessions under the watchful and protective eyes of the House of Assembly.”
When contacted, the Chairman who said he was aware of the petition acknowleded the letter suspending legislative business due to security issues but said that the letter had been withdrawn and replaced with fresh reasons.
Ogiri said that the reason for suspending legislative business was as a result of the ongoing work at the dilapidated legislative chamber which he said was not conducive for legislative business.
“Also, the council hall that the legislators have been using as a temporary chamber is being occupied by the Idoma Area Traditional Council and the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for the selection of the vacant stools in Idoma land,” he said.
Recall that Mr. Ogiri was earlier recommended for six months suspension by the State House of Assembly for alleged misconduct but the suspension was reduced to one month by Governor Hyacinth Alia.
He had hardly spent a week of the suspension when the new Speaker of the House, Alfred Emberger lifted his suspension.
The Chairman who claimed he only resumed office on Monday said that the impeachment of Philip Anya and the House majority leader was done without his knowledge.
He also said that he never ignored the directive of the Deputy Governor to maintain status quo, saying the directive was given before he assumed office on Monday.
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