I Have Spent All the Salaries I Collected as Lawmaker - Sacked Rep Begs Supreme Court

Former House of Representatives member, Herman Hembe

 

Former member of the House of Representatives, Herman Hembe who was recently sacked as a lawmaker has begged for leniency from the Supreme Court. 

Sacked member of the House of Representatives, Herman Hembe has begged the Supreme Court to be lenient on him as he has spent all the salaries he collected as a member of the lower legislative chamber.

 

Hembe was reacting following an order of the supreme court which compelled him to refund the salaries he was paid as a legislator.

 

Hembe was sacked as a lawmaker representing Vandeikya/Konshisha federal constituency of Benue state on the 23rd of June after a five-man panel of judges led by Walter Onnoghen, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), declared Dorathy Mato, an All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant, as the winner of the primary election of the party in that constituency. Hembe complied with the order and even paid the N700,000 awarded against him.

 

While begging for leniency, Hembe in an affidavit dated July 18 said he used the salaries he received for the upkeep of his family. He further said that because of the high cost of living, it will be impossible for him to return the money he was paid since he didn't save.

 

“I have tried very hard to raise a loan to enable me comply with the above order of the honourable court, but have not yet succeeded.

 

“This honourable court in its judgement declared the primaries conducted by the 2nd respondent from 7th to 10th December, 2014 null and void and this granted the appellants relief four in her originating summons as reproduced in the judgement’s of this honourable court

“The court in its judgement struck out the appellants grounds of appeal numbered 1, 2, 6, 9, 10, as well as the appellants issues 2 and 3 in her brief of argument and issue 2 of my brief of argument, the issues having been distilled from grounds of appeal that had been struck out.

“The appellant’s notice on appeal and brief of argument and the briefs of 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents are exhibited herewith am marked exhibits B, C, D, E and F respectively.

 

“I am applying to this honourable court to set aside the consequential orders against me. I had raised a preliminary objection against the appellant’s originating summons, which was upheld by the trial court and court of appeal, but was overruled by this honourable court,” the Affidavit read.