Imo Speaker decries zoning

At the occasion attended by the Deputy Speaker, Chief Jonas Okeke, other members of the assembly, the Imo State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Marcellinus Nlemigbo and monarchs, Opiah noted that the authorities of the House had spent huge sums of money to train the 27 lawmakers both in Europe and the United States, stressing that it would amount to waste if another set of legislators are brought to the House to commence training.

His words: “It is unfair that after training a lawmaker in four years, you drop him. We cannot be encouraging democracy by bringing new people all the time. In the House today, old legislators are recognised first before others. If you send a new person, he or she will be a back bencher.”

According to the Speaker, discountenancing zoning, will not heat up the political system in the country, rather, it is a patriotic call.

” I don’t think it will hit up the system. Lawmaking has become a professional thing. We have sent our honorable members to all parts of the world for capacity training. All members in the Imo State House of Assembly have been adequately trained in America and Europe.”

According to Opiah, any legislator who performs creditably well should be re-elected whether he comes from a favoured zone or not, and women should be given 30 per cent opportunity in elective and appointive positions in the country. The Speaker stated that from the report he received, Amaechi, also performed creditably well at a recent international parliamentary conference held in Cameroun.

He alleged that the lawmakers who championed the dethronement of Amaechi from the office of Majority Leader were ill-motivated, adding that they had been fished out and sanctioned.

In her speech, Amaechi, who unearthed her stewardship in the past years in the Assembly stressed that it has been rewarding from the preponderance of support she received from all stakeholders.

The occasion was used to present gift to some football teams that played and won laurels. The official opening of PDP office for Owerri West, sponsored by the legislator in the area, was carried out.