By Henry Ekpe
Last week, the fragile Imo State House of Assembly that has been limping on a clay footed leg finally crashed. The former Speaker, Rt Hon Chiji Collins was replaced with Rt Hon Paul Emeziem as the New Speaker. It is quite unfortunate that the major part of the three Arms of Government where politics is played, even after elections, has been operating like a lame Duck, due to poor Leadership.
In the first place, the majority of the 9th Imo House of Assembly are made up of youths, which had gladdened the heart of too many Imo people then, but disappointedly before the House could go half of its legislative year, it has exposed itself to much ridicule that Imo people have now lost hope of a legislature that can speak and stand for the masses.
Indeed, when a Legislature is populated with men and women with personal agendas than altruistic character, that House of Lawmakers is doomed.
It is difficult to believe, but true, that more than half of the present crop of Imo Legislators are business men, than Lawmakers.
Because of this situation, the Imo House of Assembly is now drab and lacks robost atmosphere that renders hope to the masses of good legislations coming out from the Chamber.
Rather than pursue those actions that guarantee good representation for the constituents and put the Executive on its toes to deliver the goods to the populace, the Lawmakers are instead consumed on who becomes what in line of Principal officers, and how much humongous pay is taken home monthly as salaries, and allowances than what comes through over-sight functions.
Imo people had seen Houses of Assembly come and go. But they are openly disappointed with the present 9th Assembly which they had hoped will benefit the masses in terms of good laws for the populace following the vibrant young men and women elected from the twenty seven constituencies of Imo State.
However, it is absolutely correct that the Body is as strong as the Head that carries it.
From 1999 till date, it is only now that Imo State House of Assembly can easily be predicted by the masses. And this was as a result of the Speakers who head the Legislative branch of Imo State.
The former Speaker, Rt Hon Chiji Collins was removed from office by his colleagues over allegations I see as just story to impeach the man. Because who could not have done better, because you can’t give what you don’t have.
Following the political Imo zoning formula, the Speakership position of the State House of Assembly was taken to Okigwe zone, because then Governor, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha comes from Owerri zone and his Deputy Hon Gerald Irona from Orlu zone.
It would have been near perfect to put a PDP man as Speaker but the problem became that while Ihedioha is of PDP extraction the majority of candidates who won the elections to the House of Assembly from Okigwe zone were mostly of other political parties and no single PDP Man.
Therefore, Chiji Collins of APGA and a second term Lawmaker was picked to man the Legislative arm of the Government as the only option.
Collins changed party immediately and joined the PDP where then Governor, Emeka Ihedioha belonged.
The Speaker became a PDP member to protect his job, not that he loved Ihedioha, PDP or even any political party. Not even that he loves Imo.
The moment the Supreme Court proclaimed Senator Hope Uzodinma of APC as the Governor on Jan 14, 2020, the same Chiji Collins who was in Abuja residence of Ihedioha flew back to Imo State that same night and joined APC, dumping PDP and embraced the new Governor, Hope Uzodinma.
This action clearly showed that the Speaker had no ideology, but his office and what accrues from it.
Days after Chiji Collins left PDP, his other colleagues of PDP platform, Action Alliance, AA, and All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA who had all left their parties to join PDP hitherto because of Ihedioha quickly abandoned the same PDP and pitched tent with Uzodinma and APC.
With this ugly development, the entire Imo people marveled with shock, the action of these men called Lawmakers who jumped ship twice, within months, without even the courtesy of consulting the people they are representing.
In the end, only six members remained in PDP, while the rest joined APC.
At that time, I had warned the decamping Lawmakers that they were diving into a river they know not how deep it was, and what devouring creatures are inside it.
To keep his office, the former Speaker became politically deaf, dumb and blind. He abandoned the masses, forgot his constituents of Isiala Mbano and could not remember that he had an office like that of the Governor, and the Chief Judge of the State, who are all manning different arms of Government and Equal before the Law.
Rather than perform the act of checks and balances which his office confers on him, the Speaker instead became an appendage of the Executive and was following the Governor about, leaving his office.
At a point, he became a pest, and could not even command respect any more among the Executive and the Governor, which showed in the manner he was treated publicly.
With the Speaker championing for his own personal job security, without bothering about his colleagues, his follow lawmakers lost confidence in him, and began to work in groups or individually to gain the attention of the Executive that holds both the yam and knife.
Unfortunately, all the rosy promises made to the Lawmakers which made them to jettison the political parties that brought them into office turned elusive and regret as they became frustrated as their expectations got dashed. It became all man on his own.
It was under this situation that some members gathered and sacked Chiji Collins, and replaced him with Paul Eneziem from Onuimo constituency.
I have known Emeziem right from the time he was the chairman of Ounimo LGA. He is a taciturn politician, whose mien and charisma can confuse alot. He is a first time comer to the House. And only God knows what Emeziem will give as an alternative to a Chiji Collins who though social, was shrewd in dealing with his members.
Will Eemziem be more open and a team player, than Chiji Collins who was accused by colleagues of eating alone? Time will tell.
However, the issue concerning the Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon Amara Iwuanyanwu, and Hon Herclus Okoro has exposed the toothlessness of the Imo State House of Assembly.
It was alleged that both men fought at Government House Owerri, while going to present the new Speaker, Paul Emeziem to the Governor.
But in the end, only Okoro was detained and later remanded in prison, and just got bail some days ago.
But till date, the Imo House of Assembly has not made any Press statement regarding that shameful act, as Okoro was abandoned by his colleagues.
Could that have happened if the House was working on one page? Could that been imagined during the eras of the Noel Agwuochas Chukwukadibia, Kennedy Nwagwus, Nanas Opiahs as the Heads of the Imo Legislature? This shameful scenario has shown that Imo House of Assembly is in disarray and marred with suspicion against one another and therefore a toothless Bulldog.
This situation where the House is against itself works in favour of the Executive, which had the temerity to speak on how to slash Lawmakers salaries and allowances. Imagine! It is more worrisome when it was discovered that most of the Lawmakers are non concerned over the issue, as it was alleged that only “opposition Lawmakers” would be affected. But Lawmakers are equal and one whenever they are in their chambers, except the Principal Officers.
The highest mistake the Lawmakers made, and a disservice of Imo State was to decamp at the sign of easy lucre, forgetting that the Legislator works better when it is Independent, and attracts mutual respect from the other two arms of Government.
It is quite unfortunate the present Group of Imo Legislators have lost track, and finding their way back to the main route is a mirage, because what name you give your Dog is what it answers.
