I remain Deputy Speaker, ASHA by Constitution- Uchendu Blows Hot *Suspending members when you no longer Speaker is illegal… Engr. Chinedum Orji told
The Deputy Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Uchendu has reminded members of the Hallowed Chamber and all Abians of good conscience, that his position subsists, inspite of his purported suspension by the just impeached Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji (aka. Ikuku).
He described as null and void the move by the Speaker in connivance with few other members of the House, saying the impeachment of a Deputy Speaker of the House must be carried out in accordance with laid down procedures, as enshrined in Section-92 of the Constitution.
Hon. Uchendu stated this today, during a press conference in Umuahia, the State’s capital, while reacting to his suspension alongside other members, by the just ousted Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly.
He described as “a mere drama and jamboree, the suspension of members of 9th Assembly by the embattled Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji.
“It’s just a drama; it’s a jamboree. I even heard they say they made a new Deputy Speaker.
“Uchendu who insisted that his position as the Deputy Speaker remained indisputable, faulted the process as deployed by the impeached Speaker in carrying out his (Uchendu’s) purported suspension, saying it did not follow laid down procedures as enshrined in the Law.
“Do you know that the process we used to remove him as the speaker of the House, is the same method you use in removing a Deputy Speaker. You can not go just to the House of Assembly without people signing. You can go to Section -92 of the Constitution. You don’t just go to the House of Assembly and say you have removed a Deputy Speaker.
Meanwhile, famousreporters.com reports that the Speaker of the House was, in the early hours of today, Tuesday, May 2, 2023, removed from office.
However, describing the move by the embattled Speaker as a melodrama which holds no water, the Deputy Speaker maintained that the former, having lost his position in the House, ought also not to sit at the helm of the hallowed Chamber.
Adding, “because he’s already an impeached Speaker. He’s not even supposed to preside in that hallowed Chamber.
So, what they did today was just a drama.
Furthermore, he argued that the members who sat in company with the Speaker during the alleged suspension of some of the members of the House were below the number of persons constitutionally required to carry out such act, hence the suspension of members.
He noted that as lawmakers who should be the mouthpiece of the people, they are supposed to sit at least for 180 days in a year, informing that they didn’t meet the stipulated number of days according to the constitution of the federal government.
Rt. Hon. Uchendu further informed that Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji has sidetracked all due to members, and has refused to listen or have an interface with them on how to resolve the multiplicity of problems which he caused in the House.
Speaking on why they have taken time to impeach him, Rt. Hon. Uchendu, said they have been gathering signatures as well as reaching out to him for the pendulum to be changed, but all was to no avail.
He insisted that they acted in accordance with the constitution, stating that the constitution said such action must be carried out in any government premises.
Reacting to the suspension of the 16 House Assembly members who had earlier impeached Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji, Rt. Hon. Uchendu, revealed that the 16 members formed a quorum and met the provisions of the constitution bothering on impeachment of the Speaker, describing the later sitting of the House presided over by Rt. Hon Chinedum Orji as drama as they were not armed by the law to do so, insisting that the member representing Umuahia East State Constituency, Hon. Chukwudi Apugo is the new Speaker of the House.
Hear him: “The people you saw, they didn’t even form quorum. Yes, he was there with up to seven persons and you know what money can do. Maybe among those seven, two or three have been his friends and then he just added one, two, three people and you know what money can do.
“So, whatever thing they have done there is null and void because he’s no longer the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly.
“Number 2, suspending people when you are not the speaker is illegal because you cannot remove the Deputy Speaker of the House with following due process. It’s clealy written in Section 92 of the Constitution, so I’m still the Deputy Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly by Constitution and the new Speaker of that institution is Hon. Apugo.”
