From Jefferson Ibiwale, Benin

Two dismissed members of staff of the Edo State Assembly Commission, Omoregbee Osagie and Okoh Godwin. have been recruited as Sergeant-At-Arms and Clerk-at-Table respectively by the nine Peoples Democratic Party, PDP lawmakers that make a faction of the divided legislative House.

This was contained in a press statement issued by the Edo State House of Assembly Service Commission, EDHASC, on Tuesday.

The duo had been dismissed on December 20, 2010 and February 16, 2011 respectively for certificate forgery.

They had served as Sergeant-at-Arms and Clerk for the lawmakers on Monday when they allegedly broke the locks of the ‎doors to the chambers of the Assembly to hold a sitting.

During their sitting on Monday presided over by the factional acting Speaker, Festus Ebea, the PDP lawmakers had passed a resolution calling for the freezing of the State House of Assembly’s account and directed all commercial banks and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to stop forthwith any transaction with the Uyi Igbe- led APC lawmakers.

They also passed a resolution that the state and local government joint account be looked into as there has been complaints from local council authorities that they were being starved of funds by the state government which resulted to their inability to carry out their constitutional activities to the people of their respective constituencies.

The lawmakers also asked the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, to pay the outstanding entitlements of the recalled 926 teachers and also instructed the 18 local government chairmen to forward their receipts of cash disbursements since May 2013 to the House.