State Police Bill: Rowdy session as Reps Minority Caucus stage walks out of plenary
House of Representatives Witnesses Disruption Over State Police Amendment Bill
The House of Representatives experienced a significant disruption on Thursday as the Minority Caucus walked out in protest of a constitutional amendment bill aimed at establishing state police.
The caucus accused House leadership of breaching constitutional provisions and violating the chamber’s Standing Orders.
Minority Leader Fredrick Agbedi, along with other caucus leaders, addressed the media, asserting that their decision to exit was not an opposition to the concept of state police but rather a reaction to what they termed an abuse of parliamentary procedure.
Agbedi emphasized that the Speaker, serving as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, overlooked established constitutional requirements essential for amending the Constitution. He highlighted that attendance must be recorded through member registers each legislative day, rather than through names read aloud during the session.
“The Constitution serves as the foundational legal framework. It is the authoritative document from which our Standing Orders derive authority. For the Speaker to disregard the explicit provisions of Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, undermines the integrity of the House of Representatives,” Agbedi stated.
The Minority Caucus contended that constitutional amendment bills should undergo a clause-by-clause review, with each clause requiring support from a two-thirds majority of members, as mandated by both the Constitution and House Standing Orders.
Referencing Order 13 Rule 15(a) of the House Rules, the lawmakers reiterated, “In the clause-by-clause consideration in the Committee of the Whole, a clause shall be deemed passed only if supported by a positive vote of two-thirds majority of members of the House.”
