Ebonyi lawmakers elect new dep speaker

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Ebonyi legislators on Friday, in Abakaliki, elected Chief Jerry Obasi (PDP—Ohaozara West) as their new deputy speaker.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the new deputy speaker replaces Chief Blaise Orji who was removed by the House.

The Chief Whip, Chief Ogbonnaya Ikoro, who moved the motion for Obasi’s election during plenary, said the House needed to fill the vacuum created by Orji’s removal.

“This House needs to move forward and effectively conclude its tenure; a situation which makes the election of a new deputy speaker imperative,” he said.

Chief Ogbonna Nwifuru (PDP—Izzi West) supported the motion and the members adopted it through voice vote.

Also at Friday’s plenary, Chief Obasi Odefa (PDP-Onicha East) moved four motions which were seconded by Chief Frank Ogbu (Ohaukwu North) and adopted by the House through voice vote.

One of the motions called for the reversal of the appointment of 16 new permanent secretaries by Governor Martin Elechi.

In the motion, Odefa insisted that the appointment should be reversed by the incoming administration as it amounted to setting trap for the incoming government.

The legislator also moved a motion that the management of various boards in the state which tenure had expired should be sacked.

The House also adopted a motion moved by Odefa that the sack of the treasurer of Ezza South LGA by the Local Government Service Commission be reversed.

Odefa alleged that the treasurer was removed for refusing to sign a N14million cheque.

The House also adopted the motion moved by Odefa mandating members of the LGSC to refund all monies they collected from the government as their tenure had expired.

It also called for the prosecution of the members by the incoming administration. The plenary was presided over by Speaker, Chief Chukwuma Nwazunku.

Reacting to the adoption of the motions, the Supervising Commissioner for Information, Dr. Ifeanyi Ike, described them as “ploy” by the legislators to truncate the affairs of the executive.

“There is no place in the world except Ebonyi where Permanent Secretaries and other set of public officers are expected to be screened by the Assembly.

“These set of lawmakers have shown that they are ignorant of the laws of the land.

“The issue of the timing of the appointment is also baseless as President Goodluck Jonathan and other state governors are presently making appointments with few days to the expiration of their tenures.

“These leaders are empowered by law to make such appointments provided they follow due process.

“Our lawmakers have vowed that they would oppose every policy of the government to achieve their selfish ambitions,” he said.

Ike said the outgoing governor, Martins Elechi, had left enduring legacies that could not be erased in the history of the state despite the antics of the lawmakers.