Imo Assembly minority caucus condemn suspension of members

• Demand explanation of ‘unparliamentary conducts’
• Uzodimma urges better opposition
• Police begin manhunt for fake lawyers, tightens security around praying grounds

The minority caucus of Imo State House of Assembly has decried the suspension of six members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urging the Speaker, Paul Emeziem, to stop intimidating, harassing and forcing members to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) by any guise.

Not only the PDP members were suspended. Uche Ogbuagu, the member representing Ikeduru Constituency, who had defected from the PDP to APC some months ago, was among those suspended.

The suspended Minority Leader, representing Ezinihitte Mbaise Constituency, Anyadike Nwosu, who spoke with journalists on behalf of the minority caucus, yesterday, at the PDP secretariat in Owerri, demanded from the Speaker why he “unlawfully suspended” the PDP members.

He said: “We the PDP caucus in the Imo House of Assembly hereby invite Emeziem to come clean and address Imo citizens as follows: What were the unparliamentary conducts of the suspended members? where and when did the unparliamentary acts take place? Were the so-called unparliamentary conducts brought before the House of Assembly in any sitting? Was the ethics and privileges committee set up to look into the acts and what were their findings?”

BUT reacting on behalf of the governor, his Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser, Oguwike Nwachuku, denied knowledge of what goes on in the Assembly, especially the recent suspension of six members, describing their allegation as unfounded, saying: “The legislature is independent. They should go and do their home work well and what democracy is about and stop thinking and feeding on unfounded allegation.

It is not going to help them. There are better ways to do the work of opposition. They should be more constructive rather than helping to cause unnecessary tension in their own camp.”

MEANWHILE, the Imo State Police Command has constituted a committee to apprehend fake and quack lawyers in the state.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Abutu Yaro, disclosed this when the Committee Against Fake Lawyers set up by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Owerri Branch paid him a courtesy visit at the Command Headquarters in Owerri.

The Imo police boss, who reiterated his commitment to ending quackery in the state, applauded the Owerri NBA for seeking police support to sanitise the profession in the state.

Also, as the Muslim faithful celebrate Eid-el-Kabir in the country, the CP said he had deployed operatives to secure all the praying grounds and also keep surveillance on strategic areas.

This was disclosed in a statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Mike Abattam.