..How Ideato South Member Escaped
The new month of July,2024 heralded a new chapter in the life of the present members of the Imo State House of Assembly as the gavel of the Speaker, Rt Hon Chike Olemgbe struck hard on the surface of his table to send four members out of the assembly complex for now.
Trumpeta correspondent in the Imo State House of Assembly reports that the peace of the graveyard that had been pervading the complex shattered on Tuesday, July 2nd when the Speaker and loyalists moved against four members and handed them indefinite suspension.
The members are Hon Samuel Chidiebere Ogbunikpa (Okigwe), Hon Dominic Ezerooha of Oru West and members representing Ahiazu and Ezinihitte Mbaise, Honourables Nkem Samuel Otuibe and Henry Agbasaonu respectively.
Findings by this newspaper indicate that there were remote and immediate causes that led to the sanctions placed on the four lawmakers sent packing.
Recall that this newspaper in recent past blew the lid open about impeached fever hovering around the assembly complex which may consume the Speaker and some principal officers of the House.
Based on reliable information and credible sources who gave a hint of schisms rocking the House as some members are not comfortable with the leadership style of the Speaker and some principal officers, Trumpeta scooped on a purported plot to remove the leadership which was reported.
Instead of appreciating the revelation by Trumpeta, the leadership of the House of Assembly and their media hypers took the newspaper to the cleaners with unwarranted attacks on the publishers and editorial staff leading to the suspension of the medium’s correspondent from coverage of the parliamentary activities.
Trumpeta learnt that majority of the members have been uncomfortable with the leadership style of the principal officers of the House moments after the members were inaugurated.
The bubble burst when the members went to Abuja for a 3-day capacity building workshop at the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS.
It was learnt that during the workshop at NILDs, Abuja, by external facilitators, one of the suspended lawmakers, Hon Ezerioha asked for clarifications on certain issues regarding a matter which some members saw as not only an indictment on the leadership of IMSA but signpost to the fact that there are sinister moves to remove the Speaker and others.
This newspaper however gathered that the Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon Amara Iwuanyannwu challenged Ezerioha over the act and that led to a shouting match when sympathisers of Ezerioha tried to counter the Iwuanyannwu followers at the workshop venue.
It was learnt that the verbal exchanges degenerated to shouting match before tempers rose to a point of fitcuffs. But for the intervention of the staff and management of NILDS, exchange of blow would have been witnessed.
It was further gathered that judging from words that oozed out from the mouth of some lawmakers and actions surrounding the Abuja mild drama, the Speaker needed no soothsayer to perceive plans to remove him.
Trumpeta gathered that to act fast and avoid being consumed by the impeachment inferno perpetuated by the suspended lawmakers, the leadership of the House went underground to allegedly get more evidences through the lines of the suspects where sensitive conversations related to impeachment were obtained.
Apart from the four suspended lawmakers, Trumpeta was informed that the Ideato South Member escaped suspension by whiskers after being hooked in the plot.
In apparent bid not to be removed by the suspended group, Speaker Olemgbe and cohorts had to act fast by suspending the suspected plotters.
