The Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Alfred Aondonaaver Emberga, has approved the redeployment of the Clerk of the House, John T. Hwande, to the Benue State House of Assembly Service Commission.
In a letter dated August 26, 2025, Hwande was appointed substantive Secretary of the Commission, effective September 1, 2025.
The directive further instructed him to hand over to an acting Clerk to be appointed by the House on or before August 31, 2025.
Similarly, the acting Secretary of the Assembly Service Commission, Mr. David Ochapa, has been recalled and directed to report back to the House for reassignment on or before September 1, 2025.
Copies of the letter were also sent to the Permanent Secretary, Government House Administration; the Chairman, Assembly Service Commission; the Accountant-General; and the Auditor-General of the state for necessary action.
The decision is seen as part of a wider administrative shake-up aimed at strengthening the operations of the Assembly Service Commission.
However, the move has stirred controversy, with legal concerns raised over its validity.
A public affairs commentator, Gurgur Japheth, faulted the process, arguing that the Speaker lacks the authority to redeploy the Clerk.
According to him, “The Clerk of the State Assembly is appointed by the State Assembly Service Commission (SASC).
The State Assembly Service Commission, rather than the Speaker, is responsible for decisions regarding the Clerk.
Therefore, the ‘redeployment’ should have been approved and communicated by the Commission, not the Speaker. That is the procedure.”
