The speaker of the Edo House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, on Tuesday, tendered an unreserved apology for the altercation and rowdiness that arose during Monday’s plenary, during which three lawmakers were suspended.

Mr Agbebaku said, “I wish to apologise to members of staff of this assembly for what happened on Monday at plenary. It was not our intention to create tension in the house.

“We promise that it will not happen again. This apology is because we hold you in high esteem.”

The speaker suspended three lawmakers on Monday for allegedly plotting to impeach him and other members of the Principal Officers Council (POC).

The suspended lawmakers are Okogbe Donald Okogbe (PDP-Akoko-Edo II), Addeh Isibor (APC-Esan North-East I), and Iyamu Bright (PDP-Orhionnwon II).

Meanwhile, a bill for a law to establish the Edo State Tourism Agency to facilitate the development and regulation of tourism in the state passed through a second reading.

Leading the debate for the bill’s passage, the majority leader, Charity Aiguobarueghian (PDP-Ovia North East I), said the bill, when passed, would create job opportunities for youths in the state.

The deputy speaker, Maria Edeko (PDP-Esan North East II), who also supported the bill, noted the state governor’s effort at creating cultural hubs across the state.

Mr Edeko added that the cultural hubs being built and other tourist sites in the state, however, needed a legal and institutional framework to coordinate and harness tourism potential.

Other lawmakers who spoke in favour of the bill maintained that tourism remained essential for revenue generation, hospitality, and job creation.

The speaker, thereafter, referred the bill to the House Standing Committee on Culture and Tourism for fine-tuning.

The house also adopted a business calendar of 37 sitting days for the fourth quarter of the first session of the eighth assembly.

(NAN)