At last, the cold war ranging among members of the Taraba state House of Assembly, has been doused following the election of a new speaker.
The newly elected speaker, Mark Useni, as observed by Quick News Africa, was one of the speakers who presided over the House during the last legislative Assembly.
The absence of speaker in the House since the beginning of 2016, was no doubt necessitated by the decision of the Appeal Court that set aside the victor of the former speaker, Abel Peter Diah, in the last general elections aside.
Since the action of the Appeal Court, the House has no doubt being witnessing cracks as legislative activities was not only paralyzed but also spur various interest groups within and outside the House to be jostling for the post.
Speaking at the floor of the House which has twenty-one members in attendance, the clerk, Ismaila U. Tentason, who armed himself with Order Two Rule nine of the House, believed that the House can no longer cease from functioning as a result of the lack of leadership hence the need for the vacant post to be fill by the members.
Declaring the House vacant, he enjoined interested members to go ahead and seek for votes from their colleagues in order to ensure a sense of direction for the House that has not cease from sitting since the beginning of this year.
The last sitting of the House before the crisis resurrected it ugly head as noticed by Quick News Africa was on December 23rd last year during the presentation of the 2016 budget by the number one citizen of the state.
The current speaker who was nominated for the position by the Majority Leader, Joseph A. Kunini was immediately seconded by the member representing Wukari tow constituency, Josiah J. Aji
Apart from the former speaker’s election that was quashed by the Appeal court in Yola, Adamawa state, Quick News Africa equally observed that that of his counterpart representing Ardo-Kola constituency was as well nullified by the Appeal Court.
In his acceptance speech, the speaker elect who was visibly elated, stressed in readiness and determination to move the House ahead by ensuring that all the members in irrespective of political party differences are carried along.
He vowed to as well bring to bear his wealth of experience as former speaker to unit members of the House and to project the good image of the House to the country and the globe at large.
Curtained that the two members whose elections have been nullified by the apex court would triumph in the forthcoming re-run slated for the 20th of this month, the speaker noted that the landscapes of the affected areas are PDP areas.
