Why Imo Assembly suspended three lawmakers – Speaker

The Speaker of the Imo House of Assembly, Kennedy Ibeh, has rexplained why three members of the House were suspended.

Ibeh had on Thursday ordered the suspension of the trio of Authur Egwuim (Ideato North), Ngozi Obiefule (Isu) and Obinna Okwarra ( Nkwerre).

In a statement issued on Friday, the speaker said the lawmakers abandoned state assignments for personal businesses prior to their suspension.

He said: “The suspension is to serve as a deterrent for dereliction of duty by members who take the business of the parliament for granted.”

“The suspended members acted dishonourably by disregarding the resolution of the House to which they themselves gave nod and willingly committed themselves.

“Owing to the importance of the 2022 Appropriation Bill presented to the House on December 17 by Goverenor Hope Uzodinma, the House unanimously decided to interface with Ministries Departments and Parastatals within three days.

READ ALSO: Court orders arrest of Imo Assembly Deputy Speaker over N75m fraud

“Mr Speaker and other House members who kept to the commitment were seen leaving the office between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. within the period of budget consideration.

“This was not to the exclusion of the Assembly staff that had to make extra sacrifices to keep late to ensure that the budget was delivered in record time.

“It is therefore frivolous and spurious for any of the affected members to bandy around the falsehood that he was suspended for attending burial ceremony.

“This claim becomes so spurious especially as not all the members who attended the said funeral were affected by the suspension.”

The House also declared the seat of the Ngor-Okpala constituency vacant.

Ibeh said Mr Tochi Okereke, who represents the constituency, missed more than one-third of the House proceedings since its inauguration in 2019.

He stressed that the decision to declare the seat vacant was purely constitutional.

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