Members of Imo State House of Assembly earn their regular salaries, benefits and entitlements, this newspaper can authoritaivley reveal.
This is contary to claims by some of the lawmakers who say they are cash strapped because the executives have failed to take care of their financial obligations.
The lawmakers also claimed that because of alleged finacial drought,they have been unable to meet their obligations to their constituents.
This newspaper was reliably informed that the executive have never failed to ensure the dues and entitlements of the lawmakers are promptly met.
Last November, Governor Rochas Okorocha presented jeeps to the 27 members of the House of Assembly in line with his obligations to the lawmakers.
A top source in the Assembly confirmed that as at October 2017 all the entitlements, salaries of the lawmakers have been paid.
The PDP lawmakers are accused to be the ones spreading falsehood of non payment and lack of welfare.
The source said “Some PDP members in the House also receive bigger entitlements more than their APC counterparts”
“The PDP lawmakers get their pay regularly just like their counterparts in the APC. They go back to their party members and tell them lies. They do so to avoid pressure from party members who look up to them for one financial responsibility or the other for the party. Most times, it is used as a blackmail ploy against the House leadership and the governor” a top source in the Assembly told this newspaper.
It was further learnt that the basis for the latest media attack on the Speaker of the House, Acho Ihim, stemmed from these complains bandied about by those who spread the rumour that their welfare is not forthcoming.
This newspaper however observed that some aggrieved members accuse the Speaker of his inability to get the Governor to part with “something” for lobbying for some of his Bills as was the practice in the past where the executives part with large sums of money to influence lawmakers to approve a bill or motion from the governor.
This is not the case at the moment and it is believed to be the genesis of the rumoured crisis in the Assembly.
One of the aggrieved lawmakers who spoke on condition of anonymity had accused the Speaker of “giving out the House so cheaply to the whims and caprices of the executives without nothing”
Last week, Speaker Ihim had declared that the Assembly would never impeach Governor Rochas Okorocha no matter the reason.
When contacted for comments, the Majority Leader, Hon.Lugard Osuji said he is not aware of any rift with anybody in the House.
He confirmed that the lawmakers are okay and their welfare well taken acre of.