Crisis in Ebonyi State: Speaker Petitions President Jonathan to Stop Bond Approval

 

The political hostility among People’s Democratic Party stalwarts in Ebonyi State has got messier as the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Chukwuma Nwazunku, has petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan requesting him not to approve of the N15 billion bond the state government is seeking from the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Noting that the 24-member House of Assembly was yet to be properly briefed on the use and performance of the previous bond obtained by the state government, the Speaker wrote Mr President through  a letter dated November 10.

Rt Hon Chukwuma said:

“Since our approval of the second bond, certain revelations have come to light to warrant keeping the second bond application in view pending a proper detailed briefing of the House on the use of the first bond.

“It does not appear as if the first bond has been properly used in view of the fact that the target projects the bond was meant for was scarcely attended to, to the extent that even in the next one year, the projects will never be completed.

“In view of the fact that the target projects for the first bond obtained will still take over one year to complete, and in view also that the tenure of the present administration would be rounding off in the next six months, we respectfully invite your Excellency to graciously withhold your kind approval of the second bond which the Ebonyi State government applied for, pending when relevant Committee is properly briefed on the use of the first bond when the House reconvenes from its recess on December 15.”

The current position of the Speaker may not be unconnected with leadership crisis in the House of Assembly that led to his alleged impeachment on Monday, which had been invalidated by a court sitting in Abakaliki.