There have been several echoes of disunity in Imo State House of Assembly (IMHA), so much that they pitch the members against the Speaker, of Rt. Hon. Chiji Collins, who is also member representing Isiala Mbano State Constituency.
Signs that all are not well with the House leadership, came to the open with the recent resignation of former Speaker, Rt. Hon. Lawman Duruji, representing Ehime Mbano state constituency, from the committee appointment.
Expressing regret and disappointment over the ugly incident that is rearing it’s head on the floor of the House of Assembly, a lawmaker, who pleaded anonymity, summarized the contentious issues thus, “they want to convert the House to the same rubber stamp, it had always been since 2011. We had thought that Governor Emeka Ihedioha, being a former three time federal legislator, will ensure that the legislative arm, especially in Imo state is truly independent of the executive arm”. The Governor is well known to have pursued that interest as member of Federal House of Representatives.
According our source, the major reason Hon Lawman Duruji, the house of Assembly member for Isiala Mbano constituency resigned from the committee assigned to him by the speaker, Rt. Hon. Chiji Collins, is because ranking members who ought to be assigned juicy positions were relegated to the background, in what appeared to be a vendetta mission.
The source stated that virtually all the ranking members are angry with the speaker whom they alleged may be worse than the Imo State Assembly under Hon Acho Ihim, the immediate past speaker.
Another ranking member who also does not want his name in print said that, the salary of both first termers and ranking members is the same, stating that the only benefit we should enjoy is heading juicy positions which they have now denied us. “We feel so bad that it is happening under Governor Emeka Ihedioha, who ordinarily understands the house rule. As a matter of fact, we are being victimized for being returning lawmakers while the first termers rejoice and have been placed in virtually all the sensitive positions”, he claimed.
It was gathered that the speaker does not care how his fellow senior colleagues are treated. “How do you explain a situation where the three lawmakers in Mbaise are holding more than 3 house leadership positions while some of us, even though we are ranking members are still lobbying for one? This to us is unacceptable. It is the reason Lawman resigned”, the sourced averred.
