By Onyekachi Eze
The latest news may not have been heard concerning the fresh supplementary budget to Imo State Governor by the members of the State Assembly.
What appears like a breach in constitutional schedule was recorded in the state on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, when it was suspected that about five lawmakers allegedly met and approved an additional huge sum of over thirty one billion naira as a supplementary 2021 budget to Governor Hope Uzodinma.
The bill which was presented by the Majority Leader, and member for Owerri West, Hon Kanayo Onyemaechi received an instant approval.
Trumpeta Newspaper learnt that only the Speaker, Rt Hon Paul Emeziem, Kanayo Dele Onyemaechi, Emeka Nduka, Arthur Egwim, and Ekene Nnodumele were in the chamber for Wednesday plenary session.
The emergency sitting saw a total of six members present, but ended up with only five after the Deputy Speaker had left earlier before the rest entered inside the chambers.
On entering inside, the Speaker adjourned to October 28, 2021, without treating any of the three items on the order paper, including the budget.
Surprisingly, the members reportedly met elsewhere and hit the gavel which approved the sum of thirty one billion, nine hundred and nine million, thirty eight thousand, five hundred and ninety naira (N31,909,038,5900) only for the year ending December 31, 2021.
Onyemaechi was quoted to have given the series of security challenges in the state as the main reason for the supplementary budget, as well as tackling other service defects.
Questions have greeted the recent development following the debt profile of the state since inception of the present administration in Imo.
Meanwhile, other items in the Order paper were suspended, except the supplementary budget presentation which many people believed was the reason they converged for the emergency sitting.
Imo Assembly has a 27-man member House. Six were recently suspended, leaving them with 21 members.
