The growing challenges facing the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Kennedy Ibeh, at the moment are yet to abate as it keep increasing daily, rather than reducing.
The latest, according to available information to Trumpeta are complaints from constituents of members who the Speaker through his position have been barred from the Imo State House of Assembly.
Apart from having his party lose many members to opposition parties which poses a threat to his APC party leadership of the House, an impeachment threat is hanging on his neck going by ongoing secret meetings of aggrieved members uncomfortable with his style of presiding the affairs of the House.
At the moment, the Speaker has kept away two lawmakers from all activities of the State legislature courtesy of an indefinite suspension clamped on them.
Trumpeta can reveal that since Ibe came on board last year November till date, two lawmakers; Okey Onyekanma and Ekene Nnodumele of Mbaitoli and Orsu State Constituencies respectively have been kept away from the complex thereby denying the people opportunity to have their member represent their interests in Imo Assembly.
This newspaper recalls that apart from the suspended lawmakers, the present speaker also entered the record books for also presiding the sack of two other members elected like him from the House; Honourables Tochi Okereke ( Ngor Okpala) and Obinna Okwara ( Nkwerre).
Apparently unhappy over the denial of representation caused them by the Speaker a petition to this effect has been sent to the Governor of the State, Senator Hope Uzodimma on the continued suspension of member for Orsu State Constituency, Hon Ekene Nnodumele, while those of Mbaitoli are lamenting how their eye in Imo Assembly has been kept away.
Irked by this development, Orsu constituents have risen to condemn the Speaker’s action against a fellow elected member, which has also affected the people of the Constituency indirectly.
In an open letter addressed to Governor Hope Uzodimma, authored by Mr. Mbamala Ebuka Nelto from Edenta Etiti Awo Idemili, Orsu LGA, it reads,
“It might interest you to know that I have recently written the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Kennedy Ibe, over the continuous suspension of the member representing Orsu State constituency, Hon. Ekene Nnodimele by the house for more than nine months now; a situation I feel amounts to the denial of rights of not just the lawmaker, but also the entire constituency that he represents.
“In my letter, I questioned why the legislature has not bothered to lift the suspension on the lawmaker for such a long time over an offense that ordinarily should not necessitate that degree of punishment and high-handedness.
“My inquest into the matter revealed that the Speaker and the entire house are acting on your orders to keep Nnodimele perpetually suspended. I also have it on good authority that the Attorney General of the State, Barr. COC Akolisa is an interested party and has continued to pressure, convince and encourage you to sit on the matter and ensure that Nnodimele is perpetually and unduly banished from the legislative chamber.
“Your Excellency, you must know that I am not a supporter of the embattled and suspended lawmaker, nor do I have any link with his party, and your party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). I am only a citizen of Orsu LGA who is worried that the people of LGA, including me, are arbitrarily denied their right of being represented. I dare say that in the case of Hon. Nnodimele, it is an injury to one, injury to all.
“Dear Governor, the people of Orsu LGA had expected you to treat them as your own people by intervening in their favour on an issue like this. However, you have done the opposite. Ridiculously, the LGA in question shares the same Federal Constituency with you, and is the LGA where the Attorney General of the State hails from. Today, of the 27 LGAs of the State, only Orsu is without a voice at the House of Assembly, courtesy of you, Akolisa and other acolytes. As a matter of fact, in a democracy, things should be different.
“Sir, for me and many others in Orsu LGA, the resolve is to raise the voice of justice over this matter. We will not relent until the right thing is done, and if it is not done urgently, the people of Orsu will show their anger on the ballot. It will be a force that no one, no matter how highly placed or connected, can quell.
“I bear with pain the fact that Orsu LGA is today made a laughing stock in the State courtesy of this and other related issues, and humbly urge you to change your mind, and for the interest of peace and fairness and justice to prevail in the House to reinstate our Lawmaker and voice as soon as possible”.
With about seven months left for the House to wind up activities, Mbaitoli people are raising concern how the Speaker could stop them having a representative in the House of Assembly.
It was further gathered that both constituents from Orsu and Mbaitoli are rearing for a showdown should the Speaker fail to lift the suspension ban on their Members.
According to information from the displeased constituents, a protest march would take place before resumption of the House should the speaker fail to recall the suspended lawmakers.
