The last time I checked, the Imo State
lawmakers had chosen to display melodrama to Imolites rather than mainly involving
in legislation, which ought to be seen as their primary consignment.
No
week that passed the state wouldn’t be shocked to her bone marrow over the
level of melodrama displayed by these ‘gentlemen and ladies’ sent by Imo people
to the state’s House of Assembly strictly for legislative business and other
consequential oversight functions.
Three
weeks ago, precisely on Thursday, 10th May 2018, in its usual
plenary, the Speaker of the House in the person of Acho Ihim unequivocally
announced to his colleagues that the Assembly’s Majority Leader – Uche Oguike –
had been removed from the position and consequently replaced with Lugard Osuji,
the member representing Owerri Municipal State Constituency.
In a bid to throw more light, the
speaker stated that the decision was informed by the resolution reached by the
executive members of the House. In other words, he was trying to explain that
the embattled official was removed owing to the agreement reached by the
House’s principal officers.
Therein, as soon as the pronouncement was
made, the Hallowed Chamber was turned into an Alaba market, a popular trading
centre in Lagos State as a result of the disagreement of the floor members who
were present at the sitting. According to them, the speaker had taken more than
he could chew by thinking that he and his allies could remove the leader in
question via mere pronouncement.
The honourable members, who apparently frowned
at the incident, said that there were standing procedures through which any
principal officer could be removed by the House, and not by merely announcing
to the members that the executive had resolved to remove a certain officer.
Thereafter, the aggrieved members called on
Imolites to remain calm and not to be discouraged by the ugly development,
stating they would never allow such decision or plan to see the light of the
day. They, therefore, disclosed that they could not be taken unawares, or for
fools, in a gathering where every member was elected equally.
It would be recalled that the Chief
Osuji in question happens to be the former Majority Leader of the House. He
held the position from the emergence of the eighth assembly till barely few
weeks back when the post became embattled, probably due to political reasons or
manipulations. As a result of the crisis he was facing, or perhaps about to
face, he outrightly resigned from the position during plenary. In that very
outing, he also announced the resignation of his fellow principal officials who
were equally facing similar plight.
After
the resignation was tendered, Chief Oguike was immediately announced by the
speaker as the new Majority Leader, and the outright replacement was
unanimously welcomed by the entire members present at the sitting. The
replacement of the other affected principal officials was also pronounced by
Mr. Speaker.
Now, the same anointed Chief Oguike had
become a sacrificial lamb. One would wonder what could have warranted such a
development. Well, the answer to the people’s enquiry isn’t far-fetched. The
development might not be unconnected with the recent obvious emergence of
factions among the members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the
state.
It’s not anymore news that since congresses
ranging from ward to state level were conducted, or perhaps inconclusively
conducted, across the federation, there has been existence of several factions
amongst the Imo APC members, which has resulted in diverse news concerning the
said conventions. This, surely, would equally create factions among the
legislators.
Come to think of it; the executive
meeting that resolved the removal of Chief Oguike as Majority Leader, where did
it hold and who were those present at the gathering? One question, too many.
This inquiry became necessary because I’m not unaware that a majority leader is
equally an executive member of a House. So, I wonder why he wasn’t present when
such meeting took place. This very discovery raises more worry among the
teeming concerned Imolites, particularly the seeming aggrieved legislators.
Notwithstanding, I want to use this medium to
inform our lawmakers, especially the presiding officers, that people – far and
near – are invariably watching them. They must take into cognizance that they
were sent on an errand by their respective constituencies, hence the need to
concentrate on what they were asked to buy at the market.
They need to acknowledge that the
electorate have now understood that a certain legislator can be recalled if
his/her constituents considered him no longer worthy to represent them. The
supposed lawmakers are enjoined to understand that very soon they would be
expected to report to their various constituencies on how many motions and
bills they were able to sponsor in the House, and the role they played towards
their hearings.
It
beats my psyche that barely a few weeks after I ‘scolded’ these legislators for
endorsing a gubernatorial aspirant, they still came up with another disgusting
melodrama. This implies that they have refused to acknowledge that they are
actually representing some persons in the revered Imo House of Assembly. This ostensibly
smacks of danger, to assert the least.
In view of the above, time has
conspicuously come when Imolites in their numbers would start throwing pertinent
questions to their respective representatives. It is obviously high time we
began asking them; how far, so far? This is truly the ripe moment to present
several enquiries before them for onward and immediate answers.
Time has gone when the electorate would
desist from throwing questions just on the social media, or being active only
on the said platform. The governed must note that good governance can never be
witnessed if they remain far from the government officials. Think about it!
Comrade Fred Nwaozor
National Coordinator,
Right Thinkers Movement
_________________________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
Follow me: @mediambassador
No comments:
Post a Comment