House of Reps directs IGP to investigate Ebonyi state House of Assembly over arsonits

The House of Representatives on Thursday requested the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba to carry out a thorough investigation into the fire disaster that engulfed the Ebonyi State House of Assembly on Tuesday February 24, 2015.

The incident has been attributed to arsonists.

Prompted by a motion raised by Hon. Linus Okorie (PDP, Ebonyi), the lawmakers also urged the State governor, Chief Martin Elechi, to ensure sustainable peace and order in the State ahead of the 2015 general elections.

The House also resolved to "encourage the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to remain steadfast in the discharge of its legislative duties."

Noting the massive damage to the Assembly complex by the said fire disaster and its implication to the operation of the legislature and the survival of democracy, Okorie expressed alarm that the disaster occurred when "the legislative and the executive arms of the state government are entangled in heightened political differences."

He saluted the courage of the state legislators who were undeterred by the fire as they "went ahead to conduct plenary in the salvaged part of the complex immediately after the fire was put out."

But he rejected the resolution of the Assembly "directly accusing" Chief Elechi and his "key functionaries of masterminding the fire disaster."