Confusion as Ebonyi House of Assembly lawmakers resume sitting THERE was confusion in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly yesterday as members loyal to the Deputy Speaker , Blaise Orji who could not gain entrance into the chambers disrupted the plenary as the lawmakers resumed sitting after their recess. The six members of the faction also shattered the windows of the chambers with stones and sticks panic as some people, including officers of the chamber took to their heels for safety. It took the intervention of the police led by the Commissioner of Police , Maigari Dikko to calm the situation. The Speaker, Chukwuma Nwazunku and his group had earlier gathered for the legislative business of the day by 12:33pm when the other faction led by Blaise Orji came also to be part of the plenary only for them to be denied entry by some suspected thugs, which resulted to the chaos. Thye storm had been gathering since Nwazunku was allegedly impeached and replaced with Orji because the former suddenly parted ways with the state governor, Chief Martin Elechi and switched loyalty instead to the deputy governor, Dave Umahi. A spokesman fort the Orji group , Eni Uduma Chima who represents Afikpo South West told The Guardian they were in the House of assembly because they received a report that some thugs invaded the assembly complex. He noted that they had to intervene immediately but they were surprised when they were prevented from entering the chambers as “two policemen at the two entrance doors to the chamber would not allow them access . At the plenary, the lawmakers reinstated the Clerk of the Assembly, Mrs Rose Nwokporo; Cashier, Mr Paul Nwogha; Sergent-at- arms, Mr Felix Ndukwe and two other Clerks -at -table, who were sacked on Monday by the state governor, Chief Martin Elechi. Elechi had at Monday morning allegedly announced the sack of the officers of the house of assembly. The lawmakers warned the state executive to stop interfering with the activities of the legislative arm, recalling that the State House of Assembly Commission law which Elechi duly signed, empowers the Speaker to appoint or sack any of its staff and that it was outside the powers of the executive arm of government. About 100 youths who were suspected to be thugs were arrested by the police.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 06:35:32 +0000
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