ATTEMPTS by political stakeholders on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to reverse the impeachment of Mr. Ikechukwu Nwankwo, Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, have failed.

His colleagues in the state Assembly maintain that bringing back the impeached Speaker would amount to “rewarding impropriety and malfeasance”.

The state Governor Martin Elechi had convened a meeting of the stakeholders and the state legislators on Thursday evening “to revisit the Speaker’s impeachment, as well as examine the remote and immediate reasons for that political embarrassment to the state”.

It was learnt that during the meeting, members of the Assembly took time to explain to the stakeholders why the former Speaker was removed, stressing that worse things would have happened to the socio-political stability of the state if they did not remove him.

A source at the meeting told The Guardian that apart from the senator representing Ebonyi-Central Senatorial District, Paulinus Igwe Nwagu, all other incumbent members of the National Assembly on the platform of PDP attended the parley.

He said the state legislators, through Odefa Obasi Odefa and Franklin Nwaka Onwe, narrated how various sums of money ranging from wardrobe and furniture allowances for members were withheld by the former Speaker.

He added that the embattled former Speaker introduced a dictatorial style in the running of the House such that members were often at a loss as to what was happening in the Legislature, especially concerning their welfare.

“Worse of all, we were not sitting as we ought to, yet sitting allowances of members were being paid into the coffers of one man. We felt that if we did not do what we did, our constituents would see us as a laughing stock. Even actions that ought to be taken by committees are handled by the Speaker, which climaxed in the smuggling in of strange portions in a particular report”, the legislators were quoted as saying.

He stated that the governor became incensed by the nature of the complaints, adding that Elechi, in his response, disclosed that his displeasure over the impeachment was that when he met with the state legislators before embarking on his economic trip abroad, none of them except one, in their remarks, hinted that there was loss of trust in their midst.

“On the allegation by the Assemblymen that they were afraid of his intervention over the issues that precipitated the impeachment plot, Elechi allegedly reminded them that as an arm of the government, the Legislature retains its independence. He stressed that he does not support scam and irresponsibility”, the source noted.

Most of those who spoke according to the source, including Senator Chris Nwankwo, (Ebonyi-North Senatorial District), noted that there was always need for legislators to ensure that they consulted on certain issues so as not to create the impression that any arm of the government was at war with the rest. He pleaded that the legislators   should stop the impeachment and lift the suspension placed on the former Speaker.

The source hinted that the embattled former Speaker may have his suspension lifted at the plenary in few days to pave the way for harmonious working relations of the Assemblymen and to ensure the expedited passage of Governor Elechi’s 2012 Appropriation Bill.

He, however, disclosed that the committee set up by the Assembly to investigate the various allegations of misappropriation against the former Speaker has concluded its work, adding that “at least if we are to forgive him, he should know why he is being forgiven”.

On December 22, 2011, 18 out of the 24-member Legislature signed the impeachment of Ikechukwu Nwankwo citing incompetence, misappropriation and high-handedness in the running of the affairs of the fourth Ebonyi House of Assembly.

-Guardian

Posted by admin on Jan 8 2012. Filed under Ebonyi, Headlines, State News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry