By Onyekachi Eze
Reports are rife that Members of Imo State House of Assembly are starving for some months now, as a result of paucity of funds.
Trumpeta Newspaper gathered that the State Lawmakers are ‘broke’ and can’t boast of some naira notes to take care of their daily family, constituency and friends’ needs.
Reason for this, we learnt may not be unconnected to the non payment of their salaries and allowances by the Imo State Government.
The Law making complex of the State went under lock and keys for the past two months due to the ongoing strike action initiated by the Parliamentary Association of Nigeria, PASAN.
Aim for the nationwide strike action was in pursuit for the implementation of financial autonomy for the 36 State Houses of Assembly.
However, while on the compulsory strike, lawmakers of Imo State are said to be gnashing their teeth over non payment.
A feedback received through a news report made by this newspaper with headline, “Imo Lawmakers desert Constituents, blame PASAN strike”, revealed that all is not well with one of the arms of government in Imo.
According to a Member who doesn’t want his name on print, he blamed the reoccurring non payment of allowances to whatever that’s happening now.
“How can someone elected to represent a people at the State House of Assembly be begging to the State Government to pay them what is due to them?
“Now, you just made a sincere observation and how our constituents are not happy with our absence. But we all are human beings, how can you visit your people without giving them anything to at least hold themselves, even if it is cabin biscuits and malt?
“To be sincere, House of Assembly members in Imo State are not being treated rightly. Part of our problem is the leadership. Instead of speaking generally, everybody is acting up for their personal gains”, the Lawmaker fumed.
It was also discovered that some of the members engaging in one or other constituency projects are doing so from their meager resources due to paucity of funds, they have been shunning public events to enable them keep away from friends and constituents.
Meanwhile, some of the Legislators who confided in Trumpeta opined that not only that they are owed, but also receive it at an odd time.
“Before we get whatever is accrued to us, we have already borrowed beyond imagination. Like now, the month of April ended since two weeks ago, and now we are in May, yet, April salary and allowances have not come”.
