By Onyekachi Eze
At last, the Leadership of the 9th House of Imo State Assembly, led by Speaker Paul Emeziem has posited claims aimed at justifying the suspension notice handed on Six of the Legislators.
From what Trumpeta Newspaper gathered recently on the imbroglio rocking the State Legislature, the House may be said to be fully determined to deal decisively on erring Colleagues.
On July 8, 2021, Six of the members were suspended indefinitely for a parliamentary misconduct, according to the Speaker.
An aftermath of this action are claims and counter claims from both the House Leadership and the suspended members.
However, replying the PDP Minority Caucus from an outcome of their (PDP) press conference held last week at the party’s Secretariat, where they posed questions to the House Leadership as regards to their suspension, the APC Majority caucus maintained that the victims truly deserved what they got.
Addressing Correspondents in his office on Friday, July 23, 2021, on their return from Abuja trip, the Chief Whip and member representing Nkwerre State Constituency, Rt. Hon. Obinna Okwara, stated that as men of good conscience, the House decided to reply their colleagues in the minority, as well as state the facts straight.
Hon Okwara revealed that one of the Lawmakers earlier threatened to shut down the House, and, that it would never sit again until he is satisfied.
Again, Okwara disclosed that another member didn’t only rain abuses on the Speaker, but also threatened the Speaker that it would be his last day of sitting, which almost went physical.
“One of them threatened to shut down the House, that the House will never sit again until he is satisfied I don’t know what you will call that. One also in the office of the Speaker threatened the Speaker that that day will be the end of his sitting. It almost got physical”.
The Chief Whip decried that they have lost decorum in the use of words, hence the necessity to instill discipline among Members.
Okwara described the Speaker as “Primus Interparus”, “First among others” in the membership of the House, and as such wields some powers to disciplining any member who go contrary to the House Rules.
“Our House Rules empowers the Speaker with the right to apply some disciplinary measures before referring it to Ethics and Privileges Committee of the House, or an ad-hoc Committee so constituted”.
Replying on where and how the unparliamentary conduct were done, according to the Minority caucus, Hon. Obinna Okwara posited that for membership, it is sacrilegious to deny not being there or seeing it as all happened before all.
He maintained that what the House through the Speaker did was a common disciplinary measures in the parliament.
Speaking on being an appendage of the Executive, the Nkwerre born Prince dismissed it and attributed it as one of the propaganda applied by the opposition whenever there is a cordial relationship existing between the Executive and Legislative arms of Government.
Hon. Okwara hinged that when they were inaugurated, no one was given a boxing gloves, and advised that for best practices, the State does better with harmonious relationship with the Executive, than unhealthy rivalries.
For the claims on constituency projects fund, Hon. Okwara also dismissed that, adding that on no account would a Legislator be suspended for demanding for constituency projects. He expressed optimism that the present administration would still do the needful before end of the tenure.
Commenting about their visit to Abuja, the Lawmaker told newsmen that retreats come in batches, and no one should say he/she was sidelined, as there could be another opportunity for next batches, especially, as factors like unavailability of funds might have been a barrier.
“No twelve Imo Lawmakers went to Abuja”.
Interestingly, Trumpeta gathered from the Chief Whip that one of the suspended Members had already reached the inaugurated Ad-hoc Committee headed by the Deputy Speaker.
The Nkwerre House Member regretted that instead of a Member asking for forgiveness, they resorted to visiting the Party secretariat and approaching the Law Court for a matter that could be settled within them.
Okwara said, “The people that went to party Secretariat, what are you going to do at the Secretariat? This is an internal family affair. Approach your elder brother if you feel you have erred”.
He therefore urged them to approach the ad-hoc committee and present their matter properly, than causing more harm.
Okwara reiterated that the House led by Speaker Emeziem has carried out the functions effectively devoid of acrimony and disaffection.
