Again, IMHA Boils; Three Suspended; One Seat Declared Vacant

By Charles Igbo

Tension, again, engulfed the Imo State House of Assembly on Thursday, December 23, 2021 during Plenary.

Three members of the Assembly were suspended.

And, one seat declared vacant.

The seat which was declared vacant is that of  Tochi Okere, member representing Ngor Okpala State Constituency.

Okere is said to be notorious for absenteeism at Plenary.

For instance, in 2019, he, allegedly, attended Plenary for only 29 times. In 2020, it was 14 times, only. In 2021, he has, allegedly, not shown up, at all, and has offered no satisfactory reason for his absence.

Declaring Okere’s seat vacant, the Speaker, the Rt. Hon. Kennedy Ibeh said: “He  has been absent for a period more the one-third of the sitting period in a year and that automatically attracts the declaration of the seat vacant and has declared the election (to replace him) to take place in the next 90 days.”

For the suspended members – Arthur Egwim (Ideato North), Ngozi Obiefule (Isu), Obinna Okwara (Nkwerre) –  they were absent  during the hearing and consideration of the 2022 Budget presented by Governor Hope Uzodinma.

“The Governor presented the 2022 Budget. The House  promised to give it an accelerated hearing. These Lawmakers decided to ignore the sitting,” a source told this magazine.

However, unconfirmed sources insist they were suspended for attending the funeral of Ugwumba Uche Nwosu’s mother, Jemimah, who was buried in Nkwerre on Wednesday, December 22, 2021. “Their absence had no effect on the hearings. Their suspension is deeper than the reason given,” this magazine was told.

Imo State House of Assembly is notorious for suspension and counter-suspension. In the past two years, it has paraded three Speakers of the Assembly, and has suspended no fewer than ten members of the 27- member Assembly at one point or the other.