All is not well with the Imo State House of Assembly as 22 members have allegedly endorsed impeachment proceedings against Speaker of the House, Hon Chiji Collins.
The House of Assembly was recently shut down for fumigation exercise following the infection of some lawmakers with COVID-19 about two weeks ago.
The member representing Oguta Constituency, Frank Ugboma, who spoke with newsmen said the speaker had turned the parliamentary arm to an extension of the executive.
He further disclosed that 22 lawmakers have endorsed an impeachment move against the speaker, adding that they are waiting for the House to reconvene to invoke the house rules to commence the process.
Ugboma said the 22 members have already asked the speaker to resign honourably or face impeachment any moment.
According to him, their constituents had inundated them with complaints of delayed salaries and pensions, adding that even lawmakers were owed.
“Our people who we represent, now see us as alleluia boys of the executive arm, just because our speaker, Hon. Collins tows to the bidding of the executive even on critical issues of governance.
“This is so much so, that he is now cowed to carry out oversight over executive misdeeds,” Ugboma said.
He said while lawmakers are yet to receive their salaries, the speaker, via the state owned newspaper, The Statesman, said they had been paid, an action Ugboma said pitched them against their people.
“At various times, I have been inundated with calls and messages from many of such owed government employees and retirees from my constituency. Many times I have assured them to no avail.” he said.
He maintained that some lawmakers were infected with Covid 19 because the speaker is not proactive.
“At a time like this, some of our members are battling with COVID-19 infection, simply because the leadership of our House headed by Hon.Collins was not proactiveand alive to his responsibilities.
“It is a fact that before the House was shut, the speaker was not sensitive to the basic needs of the House, as common as providing individual members microphones for useat plenary,” he added.
He said rather than engage the Governor and his team to pay salaries, the “speaker is only after the huge sums of money he covets monthly as votes and running cost”.
He dismissed insinuations that former governor, Emeka Ihedioha was behind the impeachment move saying it was falsehood sponsored by people seeking the attention of Gov. Hope Uzodimma.
When contacted, spokesman to the Speaker, Emeka Ahaneku dismissed the impeachment move as untrue, saying it is the handiwork of only six PDP lawmakers.
“Impeachment moves are covert, it just happens, nobody gives notice before impeachment so it doesn’t leak out, some lawmakers involved in unparliamentary actions are the ones behind this hoax.
“The same people planning impeachment have turned around to accuse the Speaker of suspension moves against them.
“Honourable Anyadike is alleging same simultaneously, I assure you that Mr Speaker have the support of his colleagues not forgetting that APC has majority in the House,” he said.