-Grumble Over Unpaid Salary
- As 4 Infected Members Test Negative
Following the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic and speculations that many members of the Imo State House of Assembly have already been infected, some lawmakers in the state legislature have lamented that they don’t have money to treat themselves or buy drugs prescribed for them and members of their families after undergoing the compulsory screening initiated by the leadership, because they have not been paid their salary and constituency allowances.
According to one of the principal officers who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity,he said their silence over ill-treating of the members by the executive is worrisome as it has exposed to redicule especially at this period of Covid-19 when they should be of great help to their constituents”.He implored the state government to, as a matter of urgency and compassion, pay them their entitlements to enable them do the needful and take care of themselves, their families and aides to avoid complications.
It was also gathered that some House of Assembly staff were screened recently and are presently awaiting the result of the tests, while some vehemently refused to be tested on the grounds that they have not been paid their salaries.
Latest Report available to our news desk indicate that the Chairman, Imo State Task Force on Covid-19, Prof Maurice Iwu, on Wednesday gave four members of the State Assembly who previously tested positive of the virus a clean bill of health after being treated of the virus and subjected to two more tests, for which they tested negative. The affected legislators were formally informed of their Covid-19 free status through official messages by the task force.
The House Committee Chairman on Information, Barr Ezerioha, in a chat with this reporter, frowned at the misleading report of the Prof Maurice Iwu led State Task Force on Covid-19, which he said is not in tune with what is happening in the legislature. He advised the Task Force to come and be properly briefed on developments in the House as regards the Covid-19 issue.
