Politics
Abia Assembly dismisses speaker’s impeachment, suspends nine members
The impeachment of the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Chinedum Orji by some members led by former Deputy Speaker, Ifeanyi Uchendu, has been dismissed by the House.
The House, while the declaring the impeachment as illegal, brought down the hammer on membees of the Assembly who participated in the purported impeachment by suspending them.
A member of the House, Jerry Uzosike, during Tuesday plenary presided over by Orji, described the move as unconstitutional, disgraceful and against the rules of the legislature.
He also moved a motion that all the members involved in the alleged impeachment move should be suspended with immediate effect and a new Deputy Speaker elected, which was seconded by Ginger Onwusibe, representing Isiala Ngwa North state constituency.
The Speaker thereafter put the motion to vote and all the nine members present voted in favour of it.
READ ALSO: 18 lawmakers impeach Abia Assembly speaker
“I have been a humble speaker. That I’m quiet does not mean that I don’t know what to say”, Orji said after the vote and subsequently announced the suspension of the nine members involved in the purported impeachment move for one month without benefits.
“I have taken a lot of insults and humiliation not from the governor of the state, but from those who think that they are assistant governors, but I have been quiet because my family member had been a governor and I respect the office of the governor”, Orji said.
The House also set up a committee to investigate the members involved in the purported impeachment move, after which the member representing Ohafia North state constituency, Egwuonwu Obasi, was elected as the new Deputy Speaker
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