BY PRINCELY ONYENWE, IMO
NOTE: All Standing Committees Dissolved.
— Chief Whip Removed And New One Appointed.
— Ad-hoc Committee Set Up To Hear Appeals.
The Imo House of Assembly has on Thursday suspended six of her members indefinitely with immediate effect for unparliamentary conducts and gross insubordination against constituted authorities and all standing committees dissolved with a minor reshuffle effected on principal offices.
In exercising its powers enshrined in the recently assented Act by the President — Legislative Houses (Power and Privileges) Act 2018, the Imo State House of Assembly Thursday, July O8, 2021 suspended six of her erring members who are bringing the Speaker Rt. Hon. Paul Emezien, some other principal officers – their colleagues, and the institution of the IMHA to great and unbearable disrepute.
The suspended lawmakers are – Ezerioha Dominic the member representing Oru West state constituency, Micheal Onyemaehi the member representing Ihitte Uboma state constituency, Uche Ogbuagu the member representing Ikeduru state constituency, Anyadike Nwosu the member representing Ezinihitte Mbaise state constituency, Philip Ejiogu the member representing Owerri North state constituency and Kennedy Ibe the member representing Obowo state constituency.
The leadership of the IMHA acted in consonance with the extant laws in the country in salvaging the image and reputation of the house which were seriously brought under great disrepute by the erring members.
However, we were told that this is not the first time legislative houses within and outside the country would exercise its disciplinary powers to sanction its erring members as checks in the past corroborates the same.
For instance, in 2012, the Bauchi State House of Assembly suspended Rifkatu Samson Dannas indefinitely.
Recall that in 2016, the House of Representatives suspended Abdulmumin Jibrin for 180 legislative days. On March 30, 2016, the Senate suspended Ali Ndume for 90 days.
However Senator Ovie Omo-Agege the now Deputy Senate President was also not left out in the disciplinary measures taken by the leadership of these Legislative houses to restore order.
In the same disciplinary vein, all the committees of the house were dissolved to be reconstituted soon.
Also, the Chief Whip of the house Hon. Arthur Egwin was removed and Hon. Obinna Okwara appointed the new Chief Whip in a minor reshuffle on the principal offices of the house.
In the spirit of fair hearing, an ad-hoc committee has been set up by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Paul Emezien to hear the appeals of the suspended members against their suspension.
The ad-hoc committee members have the Deputy Speaker — Rt. Hon. Amarachi Chyna Iwuanyanwu as the Chairman and Hon Johnson Duru as Vice Chairman.
Members of the ad-hoc committee include the Chief Whip — Hon. Obinna Okwara, Rt Hon. Uju Onwudiwe, Hon. Tochi Okereke, Hon Emeka Nduka and the Majority Leader, Hon Kanayo Onyemechi.
9News Nigeria (Owerri)
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