BY GABRIEL    ENOGHOLASE

BENIN—WORRIED by the lingering crisis rocking Edo State House of Assembly, a Benin-based businessman and Chairman, One Love Family and Caring Association, Chief Patrick Eholor, has dragged the Speaker of the state legislature, Mr.  Uyi  Igbe  and 23 other members of the House to court over their refusal to hold plenary and perform their legislative duties since June 9.

He is also praying the court to declare that the alleged sitting by a section of the lawmakers to conduct legislative business at the Edo State Government House on July 2, 2014 or other such sittings amounts to a breach of the 1999 constitution and the principles of separation of powers.

He told the court that the factional lawmakers in the legislature have shamefully fought themselves in full public glare, adding that their action was “unwholesome and unbecoming.”

The claimant is further contending that the actions of the lawmakers have brought to a standstill the normal social and economic life of Edo people, adding that other arms of government had also been directly affected as checks and balances, a cardinal principle in the operation of federal system of government, was now in abeyance.

Eholor is praying the court to direct the lawmakers to refund all financial benefits they may have received from the state Accountant-General and Commissioner for Finance from the day they abandoned their responsibilities as members of the Assembly to the coffers of Edo State Government.

He is also praying the court to compel the defendants to put on hold, any financial benefit or entitlement, including constituency allowances due to the Assembly members until they resume their duties as members of Edo State House of Assembly.

Eholor argued that it was morally and legally wrong for the lawmakers to enjoy any benefits, whether financial, privileges including services of their cars while out of duties, because, “public funds are meant to service statutory services and duties. The Assembly members have no justification whatsoever to continue to enjoy any financial benefit of their offices.”