There have been speculations and insinuations about the questionable silence of members of the 9th Imo State House of Assembly led by Hon. Paul Emeziem in respect of the recent attack on the governor’s Omuma residence by unknown gunmen.
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “something must be wrong somewhere for members of the current Imo House of Assembly led by Hon. Emeziem who have not hidden or pretended about their stance as foot soldiers and appendages of the executive, ever willing to defend and identify with the governor at the expense of Imo people whose interests they were elected to canvass and protect not to have issued a release in respect of the humiliating attack and affront on the governor whose country home was burnt recently”.
However, Watchdog investigation has revealed that the house presently lacks the requisite cohesion and unity of purpose to take a stand on the issue, what more issuing a release, as things have gradually fallen apart and the center can no longer hold.
One of the legislators who pleaded anonymity said, “the Speaker is bereft of ideas, leadership quality and capacity to mobilize or coordinate his colleagues to take a stand on that and other important issues. That is why some Executive Bills are passed in the secret without the consent of members. If such Bills were deliberated on according to numerical strength for and against, they will never be passed. The lawmakers are neither happy nor comfortable with the questionable antics of the speaker who most of them have lost confidence in”.
The source also revealed that immediately after the attack on the governor’s house, the Speaker, through the House Committee Chairman on Information, Hon Johnson Duru convened an emergency session without notifying his colleagues of the agenda of the meeting. When they finally converged, and the agenda unveiled, which was to issue a release condemning the attack on the governor, they all walked out on the speaker who they accused of treachery.
Some of them who mustered courage told him point blank that they would not risk their lives issuing a release when incentives they should enjoy as legislators are cornered and diverted by the speaker who has mortgaged their collective interests on the altar of personal aggrandizement”.
“We can’t even afford the services of security details while the Speaker alone has many attached to him”. This, they said makes them vulnerable to attacks, yet the speaker who should talk on their behalf is busy hobnobbing with the executive.
