Reports from Ebonyi State have it that the state House of Assembly is in crisis as for the 2nd time in 4 months, the speaker of the House, Rt Honourable Chukwuma Nwazunku has been impeached for allegations of gross misconduct, incompetence, embezzlement and misappropriation of funds.
The latest impeachment happened on the 10th November with 16 members out of the 24 members of the house of assembly signing the impeachment. This, the state government said was a welcome development so as to ensure peace in the House and the entire state in general.
Trouble started in July, when House experienced political crisis which caused a division, with a faction supporting the embattled speaker Chukwuma Nwazunku and some against him.
In the same month, the speaker was impeached on allegations of incompetence, gross misconduct, embezzlement and misappropriation of funds but after much controversies and court verdict, he was reinstated few weeks after.
However, on the 10th of November, 16 members out of the 24 members reconvened and impeached him again on same allegations that led to the first impeachment. One of those present was a member representing Edda West state constituency, Udunma Chima.
Hon. Blaise Orji was made the new speaker with Hon. Oliver Nwachukwu as his deputy.
The new leadership of the House assured the people of the state that there was no going back on the decision of the House as they will ensure that peace and normalcy return to the hallow chambers.
In his reaction, the supervising Commissioner for Information, Ifeanyi Ike said in as much as the state legislature has autonomy of its own, the government supported the decision of the 16 lawmakers of the House.
However, in his recent outing in Abuja while speaking to journalists, the embattled speaker, Rt Hon. Chukwuma Nwazunku said there was more to his purported impeachment.
He alleged that the move against him was being sponsored by the executive arm of government for two reasons. He had refused to honour the bond request of the Governor and secondly because he declared to run for a higher position in the state.
Another member of the House, representing Onicha West state constituency, Valentine Okike, who supported this position of the speaker, noted that the impeachment was faulty and lacked merit.
