Untold story of Ebonyi ‘House of commotion’

EBONYI House of Assembly used to be described as the most peaceful in the country, on account of the perceived good working relationship and harmony among the members, on the one hand, and with the executive arm of government, on the other hand.

But this was before the inauguration of the current session in 2011. Since then, the House has been in turmoil following series of threats of suspension and suspensions, and threats of impeachment and actual impeachments.

In the last count, there had been three such impeachments, the latest coming just last week, with the removal of the Speaker of the House, Mr. Chukwuma Nwazunku.

He was removed from office by 18 of the 24-member House, and replaced by Helen Nwaobasi, the first female lawmaker to assume such position in the state.

However, the action of the lawmakers is causing ripples in the state, as both the old and new Speakers lay claim to the exalted seat.

This has created doubts in the minds of the political commentators and keen observers in the state, as to whether the House really means business of lawmaking for good governance and the development of the state.

Perhaps, what the situation calls for is proper and adequate discipline, which has eluded the House these past three years.

To some political analysts, the 24-member House of Assembly is fast turning into a volatile place.

Indeed, at its inauguration in 2011, not a few people raised reservations that with over 80 per cent of the members being young men below 40 years, the House could be a “hot bed” of sorts.

And true to type, it has turned out to be an unstable legislature for principal officers, and even ordinary members.

Thus, the House, since it inception in 2011, has witnessed three impeachments and series of suspensions.

The first to get the hammer of members was the June 2011 foundation Speaker, Mr. Michael Ikechukwu Nwankwo, representing Ebonyi North West constituency.

He was impeached on December 21, 2011 by 20 out of the 24 members of the House and was replaced by Mr. Chukwuma Nwazunku, representing Ebonyi North East constituency.

Then followed by the impeachment of the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Valentine Okike, a political godson of the Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. David Umahi, an engineer.

And last week, 18 of 24 members of the House impeached Chukwuma Nwazunku, an action that has raised enough political dust in the state.

Keen political observers believe there must be urgent steps taken to resolve this ugly situation that has portrayed the state and the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) in bad light.

In their submission, the 18 members that impeached Nwazunku said that the former Speaker was not living up to expectation, decency and grace of the exalted position of an Honourable member, and especially a Speaker of a House of Assembly.

Specifically, they accused him breaching Section 104 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The section states that the House of Assembly of every state must sit for a minimum period of one hundred and eighty-one (181) days in a year.

But under the leadership of Mr.

Nwazunku, the Assembly members claimed that as at July 21, 2014, a period of more than half of the year, the House had only sat for 17 days.

They also accused the impeached Speaker of not lifting the suspension slammed on three members of the House, including the Deputy Speaker.

Besides, the members accused Nwazunku of suffering maximum distraction from family and domestic strife.

They noted that for about two (2) years now, he had never tasted anything cooked by his wife; rather, “his feeding point is a popular mama put food joint, ‘Nwanyi Ogoja’, located opposite the Brass Filling Station at Ogoja Road, Abakaliki, the capital city of Ebonyi State.

Although this was an aspect of the Speaker’s personal and family life, the lawmakers said it was “affecting the way and manner he discharged his official duties.”

HOWEVER, the beset Speaker has described his purported impeachment by some members of the House as a joke and laughable, insisting that the House was still on recess when the supposed impeachment took place.

Although he said that he had forgiven all those that participated in the act, Nwazunku pleaded with the aggrieved members to shield their sword for peace to reign in the state.

He disclosed that the matter had been fully resolved internally and that the House, during an emergency plenary, had recalled the suspended three members — Messrs. Eni Uduma Chima, representing Afikpo South West; Frank Onwe, representing Ohaukwu North and Blaise Orji, representing Afikpo South East.

They were suspended before the Assembly went on recess.

But notwithstanding the claims by the impeached Speaker, the House of Assembly under the new Speaker, Mrs. Helen Nwaobasi, has dissolved all the standing committees of the House.

The action was carried out during an emergency plenary, with 14 members in attendance.

Moving the motion for the dissolution of the committees, the Leader of the House, Mr. Sam Nwali, representing Ikwo South constituency, said there was urgent need for the dissolution, to enable the new Speaker redirect the affairs of the standing committees.

Lilan Igwe, a lawyer, representing Ivo constituency, seconded the motion.

The Speaker, Nwaobasi put the motion to vote and it was adopted.

Fielding questions from journalists after the sitting of the House, Mr. Eni Iduma, a lawyer, representing Afikpo South West, said the impeachment of Nwazunku by the House was irreversible.

Wondering why he (Nwazunku) still paraded himself as the Speaker, Iduma said: “We have a new Speaker and she is Mrs. Helen Nwaobasi.”

In the interim, the new Speaker has raised fears over the lives of members of the House, following the kidnap and abduction of the Majority Leader and several threat text messages sent to them by undisclosed persons.

Nonetheless, Mrs. Nwaobasi said that her election as Speaker was irrevocable, as “no amount of threat of kidnapping, abduction and maiming from some top politicians in the state” would stop her from performing the mandate given to her.

The ugly situation has divided the people, especially politicians of Ebonyi into two camps.

Even at that, both camps believe that the matter had to do with the stand of the state governor, Chief Martin Elechi, “in unilaterally zoning the 2015 governorship position to the southern part of the state.”

But peace-loving Ebonyians pray that the matter should not be allowed to escalate but should be resolved amicably and urgently, too, to save the face of the young state.

Commenting on the matter, the National President of the Ebonyi Youth Assembly (EYA), Comrade Chinedu Ogar, pleaded with the House of Assembly to resolve the issue peacefully “so that the state will move ahead.”

He maintained that no meaningful development would be achieved in the face of crisis and chaos.

Ogar, who is also the state Peoples Democratic Party Youth Leader,

called on well-meaning individuals in the state, to wade into the matter, “to resolve it rather that over-hitting the polity.”

All said, politicians, and members of the public in Ebonyi are facing palpable tension, as fear reverberates in the state, that the crisis in the House of Assembly may spill over to the executive arm of government.

Governor Elechi, has, however, maintained a studied silence, prompting a respondent, who pleaded anonymity, to label the governor as “being adamant to and unmoved by the recurring issues in the House.”