ABIA GETS 2 SPEAKERS IN 24 HOURS

Date:

A mild drama played out yesterday less than 24 hours after the Abia State House of Assembly removed its Speaker, Martins Azubuike, with a new Speaker, Bishop Kennedy Njoku, resigning his appointment yesterday on ‘personal grounds’.

While the drama played out, it was gathered that the member representing Isiala Ngwa South, Chikwendu Kalu, received the 2017 budget presented by the state Governor, Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu.

Njoku had on Thursday replaced Azubuike as the Speaker of the 6th assembly but, however, resigned shortly before the budget presentation by the governor.

It was also gathered that Kalu was the sole nominee for the position, having been elected through a voice vote and subseguently sworn in by the Clerk of the Assembly.

In the same vein, Azubuike who was removed less than 24 hours yesterday fought back, declaring his alleged removal as illegal, null and void. A statement issued in Umuahia, by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Prince Clinton Uba, Azu-buike insisted that he remains the Speaker.

The statement reads in full: “The attention of the CPS to the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Martins Okechukwu Azubuike, has been drawn to the news making the rounds that my Boss has been removed from the office, as the Speaker of the 6th Abia Assembly and purportedly replaced.

“Let me state here in clear terms that Mr. Speaker, Rt Hon. Martins Azubuike remains the incumbent Speaker with other principal officers as the existing status quo of the House remains intact.

“For the records, the House adjourned sitting for the Christmas and New Year break to reconvene on the 16th January, 2017.

“However, the clerk of the House, Sir John Pedro Irokanji on the strength of the letter to the speaker by the governor, and in a press release signed by the clerk, requested that members convene for an emergency session on Wednesday 28th December.

“Later that same day, the Clerk issued another statement, shifting the emergency session to December 30, 2016 as a result of another letter to the Speaker by the Governor that the 28th date is no longer feasible.

“The questions begging for answers are: Who ordered the purported December 29 session? How did the members gain access to the securely locked hallowed chambers, when the chief security officer of the chambers was not around as the day was not officially slated as a legislative day?

“The custodian of the symbol of authority, the mace, the sergeant at Arms was not at the said plenary session, which is a confirmation that the mace used to perpetrate the illegality must have come from a road side carpenter, putting to ridicule the symbol of authority of the House.

“Therefore, the alleged impeachment of Rt. Hon. Martins Azubuike is illegal, unacceptable and of no consequence.

And indeed, no action of the House from 28th day of December, 2016 is deemed legal in the eyes of the law until the House is properly constituted to carry out such or any other legislative process.

“The legislative rascality as exhibited by supposed Honorable House Members cannot withstand any interpretation by the letters of the constitution and hereby declared null and void.

“Abia State House of Assembly members should be bold enough to tell Abians the “Real reasons” why they made this failed attempt on the speaker and not hide under the non existing gross misconduct, financial recklessness, abuse of office, insensitivity and non inclusiveness as all these allegations blatantly baseless.

“We challenge the aggrieved House members to bring forth the documents relating to the financial recklessness as alleged to open plenary where they would allow Abians seat at the gallery to watch and listen to the House proceedings to know the actual liars in this matter.

“Rt. Hon. Martins Okechukwu Azubuike remains Abia 6th Assembly Speaker until due processes are followed.” Meanwhile, Ikpeazu, while presenting the 2017 budget of N102,559,340,283, christened: “Budget of Prudence and Self Reliance”, said it was 3.14 decrease over the 2016 outlay.

While he put the recurrent expenditure at N57,364,207,283, the capital expenditure is N45, 185,133,000.00 even as the overhead cost is N15,904,612,014.00. according to the Governor the budget would be sourced from internal revenue of N21,950,340,283.00 and external revenue of N61,200,000,000.

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