Crisis in Ebonyi State House of Assembly as Members Mimic Colleagues in the Federal House of Reps

 

Ebonyi State is taking the lead as the state with most chaotic legislature in the South East as the crisis in the State’s House of Assembly appears unabated.

A splinter group of lawmakers on resumption from recess disrupted plenary on Moday.

The group alleged that its members were denied entrance into the chambers.

The fracas led to smashing of the louvers of chambers with stones and sticks.

The development threw up tension as some people, including officer of the house inside the chambers had to hide under their chairs for safety.

The speaker, Chukwuma Nwazunku, with his group had earlier gathered for the plenary by  12:33pm when another faction led by Blaise Orji came purportedly to be part of the plenary but some suspected thugs allegedly barred them from gaining access to the chambers, which resulted to the chaos.

It was gathered that the crisis started when Nwazunku was allegedly impeached and replaced with Orji because the former suddenly parted ways with the state governor, Chief Martin Elechi, because Nwazunku has pitched tent with the Deputy Governor, Dave Umahi, for successor against Elechi’s candidate, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu.

A spokesman of Orji’s group, Eni Uduma Chima (Afikpo South West), said they were in the house of assembly because they received a report that some suspected thugs invaded the assembly complex.

He noted that they had to intervene immediately but they were surprised when they were prevented from entering the chambers as “two policemen who were at the two entrance doors to the chamber could not allow them access the chambers.

At the plenary, the lawmakers reinstated the Clerk of the assembly, Mrs Rose Nwokporo; Cashier, Mr. Paul Nwogha; Sergent-at- arms, Mr. Felix Ndukwe and two other clerks at table, who were sacked on Monday by the state governor, Chief Martin Elechi.

Elechi had at Monday morning allegedly announced the sack of the officers of the house of assembly.

The lawmakers warned the state executive to stop interfering with the activities of legislative arm, recalling that the state House of Assembly commissions laws, which Elechi duly signed, empowers the Speaker to appoint or sack any of its staff and not the prerogative of the state executive arm of government.

However, the crisis attracted the state Commissioner of Police, Maigari Dikko, who mobilized his men to arrest everybody seen at the vicinity except the lawmakers from the two groups, staff of the assembly and press men.

Consequently, it was gathered that over 100 youths who were suspected to be thugs were arrested by the police and taken to the state command.

My question remains... Are these men still honourable?