Imo House of Assembly in Crisis Over N4B Supplementary Budget
As Speaker Dangles Suspension Threat on Members
With just a few months to round-off its session for a four-year tenure, crisis is said to have rocked the Imo House of Assembly, following a plot by the out-going Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha to present a N4B Naira supplementary budget to the House for approval.
According to information available to this Newspaper the supplementary budget would be used to off-set the funds spent for the Imo Local Government election.
However, members of the House are said to have kicked against the purported supplementary Budget, saying that N4B is too hefty at the life of the outgoing administration.
Trumpeta learnt that the Executive which had tested the waters before making a formal presentation of the said Budget to the House is angry that the House of Assembly which is dominated by members of the Ruling Party could be this repulsive to the supplementary Budget.
Trumpeta learnt that the Speaker, Rt Hon Acho Ihim is a dilemma as all efforts to convince his colleagues to submit and pass the budget has hit dead end.
Trumpeta learnt that even threats to suspend some of the stubborn members so that, he could use the compromised ones to pass the budget has failed, as his colleagues dared him to suspend any of them.
Sources that the said budget would be used to off-set the funds expended on the local government election which was held a few months ago.
The Speaker is said to be very cautious not to antagonize any of his colleagues, who are said to be angry with the Governor, for not meeting most of the deals he entered with the House members.
The Legislators are said to now be ready to bare their fangs on the Governor for their own proud of flesh, especially now the Governor needs them most.
Trumpeta learnt that most of the members who could not make it for the 9th House are gunning for Okorocha, while those of them in the ruling party who were re-elected are plotting to join PDP so that they can vie for the Speakership position, as members of the now ruling party.
A member told Trumpeta “That supplementary Budget cannot scale through. He (the Governor) had used and dumped us. Now it is the time of reckoning” the Legislator from Okigwe zone told Trumpeta
