Abia Assembly deputy speaker denies alleged removal of speaker 

Against insinuations and allegations that made the rounds in Abia State last week, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Emmanuel Emeruwa, was not impeached before the 24-member House rose on Friday for the Christmas break.

However, the Deputy Speaker, who is also the Chairman of the House Information/Publicity Committee, Austin Okezie, said that the insinuations were rumours, noting that the Speaker was not impeached or removed from office.

Okezie told journalists on Saturday that the Speaker presided over the House session during which members adjourned the next sitting to January to join the world in celebration and commemoration of Christmas and New Year.

He, however, admitted that there were some disagreements among members, which were resolved as a united family.

It was alleged that the disagreements centred on members’ welfare and some aspects of the state budget.

“There was no move to remove the Speaker, but rumours to do so. There were disagreements and differences among members which is normal in a house or community of 24 members.”

“But these have been resolved after necessary arguments. The House is now moving forward like one united family; there is no cause for alarm, it was the same Speaker that presided over the Friday session that ended with the members’ resolution to proceed on Christmas break and reconvened in January 2025.”

On the performance of the House and the State 2024 budget, he said that as of three months ago, the House passed seven bills comprising executive and private, while many resolutions and matters of urgent public importance were attended to.

The Deputy Speaker also described the implementation/performance of the state 2024 N567 billion budget as commendable, noting that within the year, there was a virement to reallocate about N16 billion to infrastructure from areas where such allocated fund was not needed.