By Eddie Onuzuruike
I received series of calls from Abia people alleging that there was an impeachment in Abia State House of Assembly supplanting The Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, RT Hon Chinedum Orji. I dismissed it as one of the rumour mill’s products until a reliable voice called four hours later confirming that the attempt was real.
Impeachment as a tool in the parliament has procedures. Were these followed? Take a look below
The first stage in the impeachment process [Section 188 (2)] what I call the Notice Stage is the notice of any allegation in writing signed by not less than one-third of the members of the House of Assembly.
The second stage [Section 188 (2) (b)] the Receipt of Notice Stage is that the speaker of the House of Assembly shall, within seven days of the receipt of the notice, cause a copy of the notice to be served on the holder of the office and on each member of the House of Assembly, and shall also cause any statement made in reply to the allegation by the holder of the office, to be served on each member of the House of Assembly.
The third stage is the motion stage [Section 188 (3)] Within fourteen days of the presentation of the notice to the speaker of the House of Assembly (whether or not any statement was made by the holder of the office in reply to the allegation contained in the notice).
Part of these listed above takes time to allow serious judicial process and fairness to take place but were grossly not observed in this case and therefore qualifies as a mushroom coup.
Come to think of it, did the RT Hon Speaker abuse his office in any flagrant way to cause the assemblage of so-called friends to come up with such disdainful act?
I know the ringleader to be a friend of the Speaker and did receive quantum push from the speaker to be in his position today. Shakespeare said it that lowliness is young ambitions ladder.
And I surmise that from Shakespeare again that what’s more bitter than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.
Who are these rebels with Apugo?
Where did they sit? With or without the Mace?
Did they make the quorum?
Was there any moral justification?
I am grateful to God that the Rt Hon Speaker has reacted constitutionally putting the rebels where they belong.
A great political lesson to all as we ask, what do they stand to gain in ,28 days?
Why would they want to rubbish the speaker’s highly acclaimed records?
Apugo and his likes should wait for their turns and think twice about such cheap betrayals!