Contradiction! Last week, the Spokesman of the Imo House of Assembly, Hon Acho Ihim and that of Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, Mr Sam Onwuemedo corroborated that there is cordial relationship between the Governor and the State Legislature and therefore no reason for the rumour that the House was planning impeachment against Okorocha.
The next day, Newspapers carried a different story quoting Governor Okorochba of alleging that the same House of Assembly received over one hundred million (N100m) to impeach him.
Now among Acho Ihim, Sam Onwuemedo and Okorocha whom do we believe? In the first place, the story of impeachment came into Imo state this time just because of the gale of impeachments ravaging Nigeria and mostly against the All Progressives Alliance APC, Governors which Okorocha is a member.
Already the Governor of Adamawa state, Murtula Nyako has gone, remaining that of Nasarawa state, Alhaji Almakura now facing investigation by a seven man panel.
But let me state here that Imo state is not the same as Adamawa or Nasarawa. Therefore, the Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha should not bother, because the Imo House of Assembly cannot give him the Nyako treatment. Never!
It is not as if the Imo House of Assembly cannot find anything to commence impeachment process against Okorocha if it ruminates through Okorocha’s bags of impunities.
But the present Imo House of Assembly lacks the guts to contemplate impeachment because Okorocha has completely castrated the Imo House of Assembly politically that it is now a mere appendage of the Executive, a lame dock; not even a Bull dog, because that one barks but does not bite.
The present Imo Assembly is such a mockery of itself that Okorocha the Governor had the temerity to even short-change them their statutory salaries which the so called legislators are still foot-dragging on how to confront the Governor and request for their due rights that is contained in the files of the Fiscal Commission. Too bad.
The big question is this; if the Imo legislature cannot even brace up to demand for their own statutory salaries as paid other House of Assemblies through out the federation, can they make demands for the electorate and their constituencies?
Let me make it clear here that nobody holds Governor Okorocha liable for reducing the Imo House of Assembly to an extension of his numerous Aides, because it is part of politics. Infact every Governor would even want the legislature to embark on pertual holidays so that they can have free hand to run the state as a private estate. Remember, Imo House of Assembly has been on break since April. So, where is the checks and balances? How can the Legislature vacate for four months?
Therefore, it was to the political prowess of Okorocha that he reduced Imo state to be functioning without the third arm of Government; the Legislature.
Every other Governor would have done what Okorocha has succeeded in doing in Imo state, only that they were not that lucky. Such states have House of Assembly not Imo state.
Okorocha envisaged what are today happening in other states between the legislature and their Governors otherwise called the Executive. While other Governors sleep with two eyes open, Okorocha can dream for the whole nights because not only had he coarsed the Imo Houses of Assembly but to work with him as partner in progress, he succeeded in pocketing that arm of Government. Imo lawmakers quake whenOkorocha sneezes, instead of the other way round.
In 2011, while others were thinking of other matters of state, Okorocha was busy scheming how he will cage the only arm of Imo state Government that will give him headache after being sworn-in.
Today, his “vision” has paid off because the Imo House of Assembly only exist in name, as stories and activities emanating from that House since it was inaugurated attest.
In the issue of impeaching Okorocha or not, how on earth can legislators like those found in Imo that have not even found their feet plan how to impeach a Governor? Was it because the Imo legislature impeached the former Deputy Governor, Chief Jude Agbaso that political pundits are today boosting their ego by ascribing to them the power to impeach Okorocha. We all know who impeached Jude Agbaso.
There are many procedures that follow an impeachment process; be it against a Local Government Chairman, Governor or President. One of the important factors include having a united legislature that can speak with one voice, be firm and committed to the course. like the Agbaso debacle.
And again, there must be voting among the members to determine who are against or for the impeachment. In this case, we are talking about majority and minority.
If I may ask; which political party is in majority and minority in the present Imo House of Assembly now? As I write this piece, I am not sure that the Speaker of Imo House of Assembly, the chairman of the Imo Legislators, know those in Majority and those in Minority. Do Imo People know the political party the Speaker of Imo House of Assembly belong to? Neither do they know the party their representatives in the House belong to.
At the inauguration of the present House in June 7, 2011, it was believed that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was in Majority. But hours later, some of its members were assumed to have moved to other parties.
The PDP even went to court to challenge this matter, but till date Imo people are confused of the situation in the House, since nothing has since been heard about the litigation years after, even when such cases in other states have been disposed of through court judgments!
Therefore, the scenario in Imo Assembly presently is bizarre. Many Imo masses do not know the present political parties of those claiming to represent them at the Imo Legislature.
Under this condition, a member of Imo House of Assembly will tell his wife that he belongs to PDP, at the chamber he professes APGA, to the Press he is APC. It is difficult to pin them to any political party. People who ought to be role models and proud of their parties.
Those seen to have defected from PDP say they are still members of the party, but they attend APC functions and meetings, not that of PDP. Confusion!
This same members occupy offices meant for such political parties as enshrined in the House Rules.
For instance, if the Majority Leader in any Legislature is meant to come from the majority party, can the person occupying such position be in the Minority Party? Infact, the situation in Imo House of Assembly has created psychological problems for many who try to decipher what is really going on in the place.
And the unfortunate thing is that the members do not give a damn what the masses think of them, provided the honey pot is not dry.
This is the reason most of these lawmakers, who do not know how many political wards that are in their constituencies after spending three years now in the House of Assembly are disturbing our senses about having a second shot at the position again in 2015?
It is unfortunate that politicians still believe that Imo electorate are as gullible as they take them. If not, how could some of these Assembly members who do not have constituency offices talk about returning to the chamber in 2015.
How can a lawmaker who prefers personal aggrandizement from the Executive and fore-goes constituency projects going to his constituency ask for another chance from the same masses he sold for a plate of porridge?
The fact remains that most of the present Imo House of Assembly members never in their imaginations envisaged they would reach their present height in Imo society, and therefore are carried away with the pecks of office, forgetting those who facilitated their rise; the electorate.
It is a fact that the 2011 electoral revolution in Imo created the political chaos that sky-rocketed some unknown persons into their present positions. One of the lawmakers confessed to me that he simply bought a party nomination form, filled it and went back to his base, only to be surprised with a call from home after the election that he had won the Assembly seat.
The confused “Lawmaker” ran back home and till date has not woken up from the dream as he has not changed both in character and candour after spending three years now in the chamber, but surely his Bank account has swollen more than he had imagined, and boasts openly to all of us.
This particular legislator has neither moved any motion nor supported any in three years and is insulting us with a fresh request for another term. And if care is not taken he may have his way since his Bank account is now in six digits.
We have all lived in Imo and knew how the former Imo House of Assembly members dictated the pace for the Executive by living above board and being alife to their responsibilities. The exhibited checks and balances, which kept the Executive on its toes, yet got what belonged to them, and Imo better.
Therefore, as far as I am concerned this set of lawmakers cannot contemplate impeachment against Okorocha, because they lack the cohesion, moral conviction, audacity, unity, focus and justification to think of such herculean task.
When people were castigating Okorocha in 2011for distorting the number of PDP lawmakers through political subterfuge and outright brigandage, they did not know that the Ideato South born Politician saw tomorrow.
For sure, if the Imo Assembly had not been hijacked by Okorocha they would not have removed Jude Agbaso, signed Abortion Law without perusing through it, signed the 2014 Budget by 8pm in the night, signed off their rights by endorsing an Four year projects rolling plan, watch with hands akimbo as the Governor goes gaga in the state.
The only authority to have curbed Okorocha’s excesses is the now moribund Imo House of Assembly, and the masses are now at the mercy of the Governor.
Talking of Okorocha’s impeachment is a wishful thinking, a tall order that cannot happen. Not now or in the future. If Imo people or political opponents want Okorocha out, they should tarry awhile till the next few months when the election comes. But for Imo House Assembly, tell that story to the marines.
