A member of the Gbaramatu Youth Council (GYC) Mobile Parliament, Franklin ikpidi, has denied appending his signature to an online publication in support of a decision reached by the organ of the youth council opposing the tenure elongation of the Hon. Shadrach Ebikeme-led executives.

Parliamentarian Ikpidi, a representative from Azama zone, one of the zones making up the Mobile Parliament, made his position known on Saturday, October 28, while he also revealed that he was not oblivious of the verdict in the said publication, and as such he could not have signed it.

In his words, "Of recent, a publication was made by the GYC Council Mobile Parliament on the tenure elongation of the executive council on 27th October 2023. I want to categorically state clearly that, as a member of the Parliament representing Azama Zone, I, Franklin ikpidi was not aware and cannot authenticate the said publication.

"As far as I'm concerned, such publication was done in a personal capacity and does not carry the decisions of the consent of majority in the house.

"That aside, in addendum, an earlier publication was made on Saturday, 21st October in this same manner by the Speaker of the Parliament and it slipped by unopposed.

"However, this time around, I, Franklin ikpidi, therefore call on the general public to disregard any publication without input from the representatives of the zones constituting the Parliament. And so, whatever publication from the Parliament involving parliamentarians should be disregard until a joint publication shall be made and signed by representatives of the zones represented in the Parliament," he added.

Speaking further, Ikpidi strongly warned against the abuse of power in the Parliament and called on other parliamentarians to frown against anything that undermines the consent of the Congress, while noting that parliamentarians are not at loggerheads with the executive arm of the youth council.

"Sovereignty, they say, belongs to the people via which any government draws all its powers. This is not people oriented because in the parliament every senator represent their zones, and if the senators inputs are not recognized then it means their people's input are not reflected in that policy, publication, or what have you.

"We must frown at any form of ill-gotten attitude in the Parliament. We will not fold our hands and watch irregularity to dent all our efforts in the Parliament, because this is high-handedness. Mind you, parliamentarians are not having issues with the excos," he declared.

It would be recalled that a Parliamentarian, Mayor Ipopo Present had also raised alarm that he did not consent to the decision contained in a purported publication in circulation online bearing his signatory by the GYC Mobile Parliament opposing the tenure elongation of the Hon. Ebikeme-led exco.

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