It is not only preposterous but shameful to admit that members of the Imo State House of Assembly currently undergoing isolation for cases of the ravaging coronavirus pandemic contracted it through the sharing of only one microphone.
The lawmakers were reportedly exposed to a high risk of this virus when they only have a single microphone for each of them to make an input during its plenary sessions.
Apart from the Speaker and the clerk of the House that controls one microphone each, the remaining twenty-six legislators share one.
Also, aside wearing face masks, none of them wears hand gloves, except for a male sergeant at arm that serves them with the microphone.
A pertinent question that awaits an answer is if that means of one microphone can’t be fixed?
In a parliament, there is always a fixed/customized microphone for each of a lawmaker’s seat, but the case of Imo State is in the contrary.
Since they relocated to the temporary site, at Ojukwu center on Concorde road awaiting for the major Assembly complex to be rebuilt, it is expected that all the instruments needed for legislative exercises should be put in place, at least before they resume business of law making.
Imo Youngest Lawmaker, Crown Welcomes 2nd Child
Not even the disturbing coronavirus pandemic could hinder the brightful smile on the face of Hon. Michael Onyemaechi Njoku, member representing Ihitte/Uboma LGA in the Imo Assembly as he welcomed his second child and baby boy last week Friday, June 19th, 2020.
The wife of the Lawmaker had a new baby.
News of the wife’s successful delivery dominated the internet last Friday with people pouring in praises as part of the celebration.
The Ihitte/Uboma born business guru turned politician reciprocated the bundle of joy by thanking God for blessing his family with fruits of the womb.
After Quarantine, would IMHA members stigmatize confirmed covid-19 colleagues?
As always said that “the mind is cunny”, same may be applicable to the lawmakers of the Imo State House of Assembly anytime they resume from their Covid-19 induced recess.
Recall that the State government forced the ninth House to embark on compulsory quarantine on the news outburst of the covid-19 in the complex.
However, suspicion is rife that the closeness that existed between the members is likely to cease for weeks, until coronavirus becomes history in Nigeria.
According to World Health guidelines, identity of the carriers are yet to be disclosed, even though members may know each others test results.
Unless there are stringent modalities to shun any form of stigmatization, members will be avoiding each other, especially the carriers like scorpion.
Another shocker will be for them to resume legislative activities without seeing functioning microphones on each of their seats.
Assembly Workers Grumble Over Slashed, Unpaid Salary
Staffers of the Imo State House of Assembly have expressed dissatisfaction over a delay in the payment of their salaries.
Aside from non payment of salaries, they frowned at the persistent slash in their pay, this time 49%.
This displeasure came to be following the indefinite recess handed on not only the lawmakers by the state government, but also to aides and staff of the Assembly.
Registering their plight to Trumpeta Assembly Vibes under strict anonymity, they disclosed that sending them home to enable government carryout fumigation around the complex without paying their salary is inhumane.
Uninterestingly was an alleged slash to 49%.
Revealing, they fingered the leadership of the House for complicity, adding that their only interest is to get their own monthly payments and allowances without considering their (workers) interest.
On the same vein, legislative aides and PAs to the Honorable members are said to be grumbling for the same issue.
Reliable information obtained by this Newspaper has it that to feed is difficult considering the plights of their principals on compulsory quarantine.
“The worst is that if we ask our boss for money to eat, he will be telling us stories like folklores”, one of them said.
