By Onyekachi Eze
More revelations have began to unfold within the Legislative Arm of Government in Imo State following the suspension of six of the Lawmakers by the House Leadership.
The Rt Hon Paul Emeziem’s led leadership last week Thursday shocked everybody, when he handed an indefinite suspension to six of the House members over what he described as “unparliamentary conduct”.
They are; Hon Dominic Ezerioha (Oru West), Hon Uche Ogbuagu (Ikeduru), Hon Philip Ejiogu (Owerri North), Hon Kennedy Ibeh (Obowo), Hon Anyadike Nwosu (Ezinihitte Mbaise), and Hon Michael Onyemaechi Njoku ( Ihitte Uboma).
Out of the victims, 4 are members of the All Progressive Congress, APC, while 2 are in the Minority People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
Against this backdrop, uneasy calm and controversy have crept into the State Parliament as blame games and counter claims have dominated the scene.
Since after the impasse that almost ended in physical combat among the elected lawmakers, the centre can no longer hold.
Local Government Areas of the respective Lawmakers are said to be spoiling for showdown, in a bid to demand for the lifting of the suspension on their representatives.
Indications are also rife that if the House Leadership fails to give detailed explanation on the cause of the suspension of their member, the State may experience total protests any time soon.
Recall that the last suspension of such witnessed in the State was during the 8th House of Imo Assembly, under the Leadership of Rt Hon Acho Ihim.
Acho Ihim then suspended five of the members using the same specification of “Unparliamentary conduct”.
The suspensions lasted for over nine months until a High Court sitting in Owerri dismissed the said suspension and declared it null and void.
With the way the matter is going, LGAs might not relent in taking it out with the House Leadership.
Similarly, the Speaker and the affected House members are currently trading words over who is right or wrong.
While Speaker Emeziem maintained that the suspension of the Lawmakers followed due process, the six members too in their respective interviews are reiterating that the Speaker has no right to suspend them.
The aggrieved members contested that already, the Supreme Court earlier this year ruled that Speakers of State House of Assembly lack the right to suspend fellow House members.
Trumpeta correspondent also learnt that the suspended House members, are still not privy on the basis they were suspended.
According to an interview granted to House correspondents, the Lawmakers whose idea, thoughts and opinions corresponded with each other, pointed that even in the House Rule, there should be a Committee to try any member considered to have erred, after which, the recommendation of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges would determine the fate of the said members.
On this note, the suspended Lawmakers were of the view that the Speaker misfired and by abandoning the House Rules which ought to be the guiding tool in the House.
The embattled members pointed out that the Leadership of the House, especially the Speaker should not be a position to please anybody, rather, should dispense justice and equity at the right time with recourse to the constitutional House Rules.
Speaking further about the ethics and privileges, members for Ihitte/Uboma and Obowo constituency said in the House Rule, once a member indicates for a “point of Order”, every other item should be placed on suspension until the Lawmaker is heard.
On that effect, they posited that not only that they were not given the opportunity to air their views, their privileges as House members were breached.
However, this Newspaper reliably gathered that it is not yet uhuru for the cause of the matter, as they believe the needful ought to be done before next sitting.
