Outrage in Imo as house assembly gets speaker No.4 in two years

By Ori Martins

The people and residents of Imo State were enraged when the news filtered in announcing the removal of the former speaker, Rt. Hon. Kennedy Ibeh who represents Obowo State Constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly.

His successor is Hon Anthony Emeka Nduka representing Ehime Mbano State Constituency. Both Ibeh and Nduka belong to the ruling APC.

Business Hallmark gathered from assembly sources that Nduka was sworn in Monday during what the honourable members described as “a closed doors special sitting” which was chaired by the deputy speaker, Hon Amarachi Iwuanyanwu, APC member, representing Nwangele State Consistency.

It was revealed that Iwuanyanwu went straight to the knotty business of the day which was the impeachment or forced resignation of Ibeh. He, therefore called for nominations for election in order to select the new speaker following what has been tagged controversial resignation of Ibeh who ultimately, threw in the towel before the crestfallen members of the house who looked on in awe.

Normal assembly fact check reveled that the new speaker was elected after he was nominated by the Majority Leader, Mr Kanayo Onyemaechi (APC Owerri West) and seconded by Dr Uju Onwudiwe (APC Njaba).

With this latest development, Nduka’s emergence makes it the fourth speaker the Imo State House of Assembly will be electing in less than two years.

It must be recorded that Ibeh was sworn – in as speaker on November 8, 2021 in the aftermath of the sudden impeachment of Hon Pzaul Emeziem, APC, representing Onuimo State Constituency.

The first victim of what has now become a viscoius cycle of impeachments was Hon Chiji Collins who was removed moments after Governor Hope Uzodimma became governor.

All the three previous sacked speakers were accused of either forgery, high-handedness or executive rascality.

Responding to the current situation Mr Vincent Akuwuihe, a secondary school teacher in a private school in Owerri, said what happened at the house of assembly was nothing but a drama clearly orchestrated from “the top”.

According to him; “I find it difficult to believe that Speaker Ibeh just resigned. We heard that before he was given the job, he was compelled to tender a postdated resignation letter.

“Of course, things have gone awry between him and the governor and the resignation letter was thrown up. Rumours have it that the bone of contention was the issues about the renovated assembly complex”.

Another respondent, Charity Nduoma stated that the Imo Assembly members abandoned their statutory duties and faced their respective interests.

She quarried if the assembly members ever took a stand the insecurity that has been ravaging the state for more than two years now.