Imo Lawmakers Shun Plenary Over Deputy Speakers Removal
- The Imo State House of Assembly was said to have been empty on Thursday, November 4, over the removal of the deputy speaker
- The speaker was removed by 18 out of the 27 lawmakers of the House after a resolution for his removal was passed by the speaker
- According to sources, the speaker is currently in Abuja with the removed deputy to seek an audience with the Imo state governor over the matter
Lawmakers of the Imo state House of Assembly on Thursday, November 4, shunned the plenary scheduled to take place today
The lawmakers' action followed the chaos at the State House of Assembly which saw the removal of the deputy speaker of the House, Amara Iwuanyanwu.
Recall the 18 out of the 27 lawmakers in the Imo state House of Assembly had unanimously removed the deputy speaker after a resolution was presented before the Speaker, paul Emeziem.
Emeziem while presiding over the session received the resolution presented by Honourable Ekene Nnodimele, who is the lawmaker representing the Orsu state constituency.
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At the plenary when the incident happened, the deputy speaker had sought to know the content of the letter presented by Nnodimele but was ordered to return to his position by the Speaker.
Immediately after the order, the speaker hit the gavel okaying the removal of Iwuanyanwu as his deputy after reading the resolution.
Following the action of the speaking, Iwuanyanwu stormed out of the plenary and zoomed off from the complex of the House of Assembly on his convoy.
Punch reports that surprisingly, no lawmaker was sighted at the House of Assembly complex on Thursday, November 4.
This led to speculations of a rift between the minority leader, Anayo Onyemaechi, and the clerk of the House, Chinelo Emeghara.
The duo were allies before the deputy speaker's removal.
However, despite the absence of lawmakers or other principal officers of the House, a few aides to the House of Assembly members at the complex which has remained a shadow of itself.
Sources at the complex said the speaker and the removed deputy speaker had flown to Abuja to have an audience with the state governor, Hope Uzodinma.
According to the source:
“The battle has now shifted to the executive arm of government. The Speaker and the removed deputy speaker are in Abuja as we speak. Other lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress’ extraction are also in Abuja."
“While Amara Iwuanyanwu and his group are working to upturn the removal, the Speaker and his loyalists are insisting that a new deputy speaker be named. Let us see how it goes.”
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Iwuanyanwu was removed by the lawmakers of the Imos state House of Assembly after a resolution was presented before the speaker on Tuesday, November 2.
The deputy speaker was said to have been removed by his fellow lawmakers under tight security in Owerri.
Also, the speaker of the House, Paul Emezim, also announced the recall of six suspended lawmakers of the state House of Assembly.
In other news, Fidelis Nnadi, a resident of Imo state was gunned down by some hoodlums in the state throwing other residents into fear.
Nnadi was killed along Okwelle-Umuezealaibe road on Wednesday, October 27, days after several attacks had been launched in the state.
He was said to have been resident in Abba, Nwangele local government area of the state.
Source: Legit.ng