BY INNOCENT ONYEUKWU
The suspension of six members of Imo State House of Assembly, opens a pandora’s box of strange events, political and social, which now plague our State.
This is not the first time lawmakers of the State of Assembly are suspended. And when such occur, it is trailed by several interpretations.
When Acho Ihim was Speaker of the 8th Assembly, some members were also suspended for ‘parliamentary misconduct’, a term coined to axe lawmakers who refuse to fall in line.
The ‘parliamentary misconduct’, we later understood, was the refusal of some members to take part in the impeachment of the then Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere.
Several tales have been propounded why the six members were sacked by the current Speaker, Paul Emeziem. The six cut across the two dominant political parties in the House- the APC and PDP.
The Speaker had also accused the six members of ‘parliamentary misconduct’.He did not dove tail what he meant by using such terminology. But those with sixth sense, will decode that the six lawmakers were suspended because they were found on the wrong side of the divide.
If it’s a football match, they were caught offside. And the referee and the linesmen concurred.And a check on VAR, confirmed they were offside.
What is evident is that, there are skirmishes in the House. Not all the members are on the same page. And they are not expected to. Interests and affiliation differ among members. As their faces are different, so are there thoughts and intentions.
And when there is such development,
shifting cultivation takes place. Whoever gets shifted, cries foul.Members resort to undo each other. The end product, is bickering, mutual suspicion among members.
They have not downgraded to touts, who use weapons to fight each other when divisive issues arise.We never saw such ugly incidents when the famous six were suspended.
But it had happened in Rivers State and some other States in the federation.The debasement of the State legislature in some States led to the mace being taken to Government House, the dome of the Executive, for safe keeping.
Across the country, House of Assemby members have ceased to be a check and balance on the Executive.They have sold their royal oaths, by abdicating their constitutional responsibility, as a check on the Executive.
When House members cease to be legislators and choose to become errand boys of the executive, they are bound to be tossed around when they suddenly want to be assertive.
The under currents which shaped the suspension of six lawmakers of Imo House of Assemby is still shrouded in secrecy. Only the actors and co actors involved in the entire saga know the crux of the matter. It’s a game of chess laden with riddles and uncertainty.
We are yet to hear the full gist, the untold story, the undercurrents. And until we do, we hope the unfolding development which trailed their suspension does not get messier.
What has happened in the Imo State House of Assemby is “Imocadabra”, an evolving strange mix of deception and deceit, which has crept in the socio political lexicon of the State. Only time is the temporary barrier hindering it’s manifestation in other spheres.