How 9 Lawmakers Sabotaged Plot To Probe Okorocha
.Got N200,000 Flight Fee Trip To Abuja
. Betrayal of Trust Rocks Members Unity
.Speaker May Hammer Ibeh, Agabige, Orie
By Samuel Ibezim
A desperate move by a section of the members of the Imo State House of Assembly to certify the financial status of the state as well as move against the House leadership and executive arm has hit the rocks, Trumpeta can reveal.
According to investigations carried out by our correspondent, the members, fueled by the desire to regain what they lost in the past reorganized to launch at the executive arm, but appears to have lost out going by the trends.
Further information available to Trumpeta has it that on announcing of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as Imo State Governor Elect by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the House which is not on recess, was said to have failed to convene at the directives of outgoing Imo governor, Rochas Ethelbert Anayo Okorocha. Angered by this unnecessary delay at the detriment of the people, some concerned lawmakers, 17 in number, woke from their slumber and decided to amend their ways in the remaining weeks of their legislative work and warm themselves to the heart of the people by citing Rule 13 (1), (2) and (3) of IMHA Rules 2015 (as amended) to requisition the speaker on Tuesday, April 9 through published advertorials to reconvene the House on Thursday, April 11 as they are not on recess.
Indeed, this bold step frightened Speaker Ihim who was the running mate to Uche Nwosu, Okorocha’s son in-law and the Imo State gubernatorial candidate of Action Alliance, AA party. He quickly agreed with Okorocha to invite some of the lawmakers to Abuja where the governor is in a legal battle to get certificate of return as elected for Orlu senatorial zone. To the dismay of some few lawmakers like Kennedy Ibeh and Chika Madumere, Obowo State Assembly representative and Nkwere State Assembly representative respectively, most of the people that met and signed the requisition, were wired #200,000 each for flight ticket to meet Speaker Ihim and Gov. Okorocha.
Trumpeta saw that combined security personnel had been deployed to the Assembly complex at the eve of the April 11. Thereby, heightening the fear at the pages of newspapers that the speaker and governor would be impeached.
On April 11 at the hallowed chamber, the sitting took a twist when Hon. Ibeh of Obowo cited Order 15 (Privileges) to state that the purpose of requisitioning for the reconvention was to look into the following issues of (1) the audit report of the state: 2015-2017 which the members never got a copy. (2) Investigate the controversies of whether or not the state had been plunged into heavy debts under Okorocha’s administration as the governor had in many fora, denying owning any debt. Consequently, Ibeh called for a motion inviting the acting Imo State Accountant General and finance commissioner to the House for explanation on this aspect and (3) Address the endless suspension of the five suspended members which the law court had quashed.
However, Ihim smartly avoided the raised issues with claim that they discussed such in the executive session. Instead, the speaker claimed that the sole aim of the requisition is to discuss their welfare. Curiously, Trumpetagathered from four lawmakers who prayed for anonymity, that there wasn’t any executive session let alone discussing of such issues.
Further, Trumpeta gathered that Mike Iheanaetu of Aboh Mbaise Lugard Osuji of Owerri Municipal, Lawman Duruji of Ehime Mbano, Obinna Egu of Ngor-Okpala, and Ngozi Obiefule were among the lawmakers that went to Abuja to meet Speaker Ihim and Governor Okorocha. Others include Arthur Egwim of Ideato North, Ngozi Obiefule of Isu, Llyod Emeka of Owerri North, Agbim Ken of Ahiazu Mbaise, Bruno Ukoha of Ezinihitte Mbaise and Ikonne Onyewuchi of Owerri West.
Apart the 5 House of Assembly Members on suspension since over 8 months now, more House of Assembly Members may have been marked for oppression and possible suspension. Hon. Chika Madumere of Nkwere LGA, Hon. Barr. Kennedy Ibeh of Obowo LGA, Hon. Barr. Arthur Egwim of Ideato North, Hon. Uche Agabige of Orsu, Hon. Emmuel Orie of Ohaji/Egbema are in the danger list, are likely to get suspension if they continue to pose a threat to the speaker and governor. This newspaper learnt it will be the only option left for the outgoing governor and speaker to survive the fresh heat.
