Why Speaker Nwazunku Was Impeached By Ebonyi Lawmakers

Following last week’s purported impeachment of the speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon. Chukwuma Nwazunku, by some of his colleagues and the election of Mrs. Helen Nwobashi, as the new speaker, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state, has been divided into two factions, with one group aligning itself with Nwazunku, while the other group is solidly behind Nwobashi.

Succinctly put, the supposed removal of Nwazunku as speaker of the PDP-led legislature has brought about political tension, insecurity, accusations and counter accusations amongst the members of the House of Assembly, and PDP stakeholders in the state.

While some members of the House loyal to Hon. Nwazunku, strongly claim that they neither signed the impeachment document nor approved of it, those loyal to Nwobashi, insist that they did not only sign the document but attended the several meetings that preceded the impeachment.

LEADERSHIP had exclusively reported that the suspension of Hon Frank Onwe, Hon Eni Uduma Chima and the deputy speaker, Hon Blaise Orji would markthe beginning of trouble in the State House of Assembly and the change in the political equation in the state.

As predicted, on July 21, 2014, the lawmakers as early as 6 am converged at the premises of the Assembly in a plenary that did not last up to five minutes during which the impeachment of Speaker Nwazunku was announced, and Hon. Nwobashi, installed as the new speaker.

Though, the assembly has been sealed and condoned off by security operatives, the alleged impeachment of Nwazunku is still raising dust in the political landscape of the state.

One week after the purported impeachment, Hon Nwazunku still operates from the speaker’s official lodge, while Hon. Nwobashi is optimistic that she would take over the lodge as soon as the dust settles down.

She is actually waiting for the commissioner of police, Ebonyi State command, Mr Maigari Dikko, to direct his men to recover the official property of the Assembly in Nwazunku’s possession to forestall further breakdown of law and order.

Hon Eni Uduma and other aggrieved lawmakers have made it clear that nothing would make them reverse their decision adding that at the same time, they would not want to do anything that would lead to the breakdown of law and order in the state.

Ebonyi State House of Assembly before now was regarded as the most peaceful House of Assembly in the country, but trouble started in 2011 when the former speaker, Hon Ikechukwu Nwankwo, perceived as the spiritual son of th state governor, Chief Martin Elechi was impeached by the legislature.

At the time of the incident, Governor Elechi was overseas on a medical trip. Since then, the lawmakers have engaged in war of attrition by suspending or impeaching members on the slightest provocation, once the victim is suspected to have parted ways with the cabals within and outside the House.

Before the alleged impeachment of Hon. Nwazunku, he had a nine-man cabal that masterminded the impeachment and suspension of members of the House.

However, in the last three years of his administration, three members of the cabal were in May suspended for alleged causing of disaffection between the executive and the legislature.

Some PDP stakeholders in the state who had before now expressed dissatisfaction with Nwazunku’s style of administration, and who are core loyalists of Governor Elechi, said Nwazunku had shot himself on the foot by suspending some members of his cabal.

Five out of the nine – member cabal were penciled down for suspension, but two were suddenly dropped. The three affected lawmakers were deputy speaker, Blaise Orji, Eni Uduma Chima (Afikpo South West) and Hon. Frank Onwe.

The House carried out their activities without any suspicion of the activities of the suspended members but while they wined and dined, the suspended members were busy sowing seed of discord against the speaker.

Hon Odefa Obasi Odefa and Hon Ogbonnaya Nwifuru – notable members of the House, and some other legislators who had an axe to grind with Nwazunku, conspired with the three suspended members of the cabal to plot against the removal of the speaker without his knowledge.

In an interview with LEADERSHIP, Hon Odefa stated that his group moved against Hon. Nwazunku because he supported Governor Elechi’s insistance that the next governor of the state must come from Ebonyi South senatorial zone. Nwazunku hails from Ebonyi North senatorial zone, the same senatorial zone with the wife of the governor, Mrs. Josephne Elechi.

Speculations are rife that the elder brother to Mrs. Elechi, Senator Chris Nwankwo(Ebonyi North senatorial zone), is desperate to be the next governor of the state, at the expiration of Elechi’s tenure on May 29, 2015. Senator Nwankwo, according to sources bankrolled Nwazunku’s election into the legislature, and his elevation to the position of speaker, and therefore, many of his kindsmen (Izzi) are wondering aloud why he is kicking against the governorship aspiration of his kinsman and benefactor.

A commissioner in the state who hails from Izzi, and a loyalist of Senator Nwankwo was said to have threatened to make the legislature ungovernable for Nwazunku, for supporting the emergence of the next governor of the state from Ebonyi South senatorial zone, which includes Afikpo, Ohaozara, and Uburu.

Senator Nwankwo is seen by many as the political leader of Izzi clan, and therefore, anybody who stands against his political aspiration, is viewed by Izzi people as an enemy of the clan. Indeed, sources say Mrs. Elechi wants his brother – Senator Nwankwo to succeed her husband.

Therefore, for supporting the movement of power to the south, Nwazunku, became a prodigal son who must be pulled down and thought a bitter lesson. The three Izzi council chairmen, businessmen from the clan, commissioners, permanent secretaries and general managers of state-controlled corporations, were alleged to have raised millions of naira to ensure the ouster of Hon Nwazunku.

According to a source, the money was used in getting the 18 members of the House of Assembly who purportedly impeached Nwazunku. And barely 20 minutes after Nwazunku was purportedly impeached, the wife of the governor sent a congratulatory message to Hon Nwobashi, and later had a private discussion with her.

For now, not a few are also wondering who authorised the use of the Women Development Center hall for the sitting of the Hon Nwobashi-led Assembly members.

Beyond Nwazunku’s support for power movement to the south, his accusers say he embezzled N120million released to them by the state government as imprest, but emerging facts had it that the money, as at the day of his impeachment was yet to be received by the embattled speaker.

Sources also disclosed to LEADERSHIP that the money was sourced through contractors and it was still being processed by the cashier of the House, Mr Paul Nwogha. But the lawmakers against Nwazunku went to town with the allegation that the money had been diverted by the embattled speaker.

“The problem revolves around Izzi clan. The Izzi peopl threatened to make the seat ungovernable for Nwazunku, and that it is what is playing out now. All the accusations leveled against him are false.