By Alemma Aliu

BENIN CITY—AS the controversies surrounding the June 17th night inauguration of the Edo state House of continues, a coalition of civil society group under the name Concerned Civil Society Groups, Edo State Chapter yesterday expressed displeasure over the way and manner the house was inaugurated and the crisis it has caused in the state.

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Addressing a joint press conference in Benin City, the group also alleged that some persons under the name of being civil societies have been sponsored to create an impression that civil society in the state were taking sides in the crisis and therefore urged the public to disregard such.

Co-convener of the group, Emmanuel Agbogun flanked by Kola Edokpayi and Stanley Osazee said the issue they are bothered about is why all the members of the House of Assembly were not informed when Governor Godwin Obaseki issued letter of procalamtion.

He said: “Section 105, sub Section 3 of the 1999  constitution as amended saddled the responsibility on the person elected as governor to issue a letter of proclamation to the clerk of the house for the inauguration of the state house of assembly. The question is were all members elect aware of the day and time of the inauguration? The answer is emphatic no. You do not expect the civil society that is the conscience of the nation to support legislative lawlessness and gambadoism all because of friendliness”

On the intervention by the National Assembly, the group said “The constitution empowered the National Assembly to act on matters such as this. Section 11 (4) of the constitution mandated the legislature to take over a state house of assembly peculiar to the situation taking place in the Edo State House of Assembly

“We are calling on Edo people not to be carried away by some stomach infrastructure individuals masquerading themselves as activists to perpetuate themselves.”