BY EBERE EKECHI
Fresh trouble looms for Chiji Collins, a former Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly.
Collins was impeached last month by the State House of Assembly. He will face an ad hoc committee set up by his successor, the new Speaker, Paul Emeziem, and headed by Ekene Nnodimele and made up of six other members. They are:Hon Amb. Uche Ogbuagu (Majority Leader, Ikeduru), Hon. Dominic Ezerioha (Oru West), Hon. Eddy Obinna (Aboh Mbaise), Hon. Emeka Nduka (Ehime Mbano), Hon. Frank Ugboma (Oguta) and Hon. Duru Johnson (Ideato South)
The Committee will investigate financial activities of the former speaker from June 2019 to November 2020.
Member representing Orsu State Constituency, Ekene Nnodimele who chairs the investigative Committee moved the motion for Chiji’s probe during plenary.
According to him, the former Speaker was impeached for his involvement in financial impropriety and high handedness. He alleged that the former Speaker withheld the pay of member representing Njaba State Constituency, Uju Onwudiwe when she contested for re- election.
He said “During this period, the impeached speaker, Chiji Collins was in charge and never accounted for all the monies accruing to the House.
“It will soon be an established fact that the four months salary and allowance of Hon. Uju Onwudiwe has gone into an individual’s private pocket.
“When the former Deputy speaker, Okey Onyekanma resigned from his position sometime in 2019, the seat was vacant for several months and several emoluments including salary were unaccounted for till date.
“This, Mr. Speaker, will serve as a deterrent to others who may want to engage in any sharp practice to amass wealth. Lawmaking is vocational and it is only proper that we set good examples for others to emulate,”
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