By Onyinyechi Amakaulo
Reasons why majority of members of the Imo State House of Assembly want Speaker Acho Ihim removed has been gathered even as the lawmakers of the ruling APC have expressed regrets associating with their party leader in the state and governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
There have been uneasy calm and tensed moments in the House of Assembly leading to reports of attempts to impeach the speaker over poor leadership skills. The move to affect change has seen lawmakers of the House close ranks for a common purpose irrespective of party platform. Apart from the six PDP lawmakers, the APC members have swollen the rank of the opposition to Ihim`s continued headship of the House to about 19 against 8.
Most of the Members who cared to speak to the newspaper on the issue of the impeachment heaped blame on the doorsteps of the governor who they blamed of attempting to starve the House thereby causing friction between them and the leadership. One of the members who spoke to Trumpeta under strict condition that the name will not be mentioned revealed that they have regretted their initial romance with the governor as it amounts to an unholy avenue to impoverish them.
The member who said that they owe their APC tickets to Okorocha`s help, however regretted that the initial romance is turning into poverty. According to the member, ten weeks after inauguration, they are yet to be acquainted with their monthly pay pack despite not getting anything to cheer about after an excruciating election run.
“our romance with his Excellency is turning to a horrible experience. We are yet to know our pay packet. Nothing has been given to us to cushion the effect of our campaign expenses, those we took money from to run the election are after us, but no money to settle them for now months after we have entered the House. We are been taken for granted because of our good relationship with the governor as his co-APC members. The APC majority status has been taking for granted by the executive, that is why we are suffering,” the lawmaker added.
The lawmaker further blamed Okorocha`s indifference attitude to their welfare as part of the problems that pitched them against speaker Ihim. They accused Ihim of compromising with Okorocha to deny them of their benefits, hence the little skirmishes witnessed so far between them and the speaker
