Onwuasoanya FCC Jones
Yesterday, the Imo State House of Assembly descended, not for the first time though, into a House of chaos. Gunshots were fired and honorable members as well as horrible members scampered for safety. Of course, bullets know no road, sometimes they even hit those that sent them out. Staff of the Assembly, visiting guests and journalists got more than they bargained for. They came to a hallowed chamber and went out harrowed.
At the end, six house members were suspended, allegedly, in line with a motion earlier sponsored by one of the victims, when he was still useful to the system and was their leader and their launderer. Of the six of them who got the boots from their colleagues, maybe, for daring to ask questions, I do not think there was anyone of them who raised an objection when that motion. So, it could be fair to say that they all fell into the gully they dug or helped dig. No sympathy. I rather sympathize with our cherished and constantly harried democracy, not those whose actions, words or silence helped to destroy this democracy.
These six are from different Parties, from different political blocs. So, if their suspension is unjust, it is certainly an injustice, that is bipartisan. My Party members got the lion share of the reprimand, even though it is the PDP that issued a hasty and empty press release in condemnation of what they were yet to get the true tail of. Kennedy Ibeh (Nkenkenyi), Ezerioha, I don’t even know his first name, Uche Ogbuagu, the man who dug the hole and Michael Onuoha are all of the APC and only two PDP members in Anyadike Nwosu and Philip Ejiogu were affected.
My own House of Assembly member, the longsuffering and kind Arthur Egwim who has been managing with the Majority Whip position was whipped out of line, while my friend and fellow Imo Star, Prince Obinna Okwara got the whip to whip any erring member into line, subsequently. How far he succeeds will definitely depend on how often he doesn’t use the whip.
The good thing about the entire development is that the governor is not involved. As the leader of the Party and father of the State I expect that the governor will wield in and see how he can resolve the dispute, especially, those affecting his Party members. The governor can’t tell the Speaker of the House what to do or how to run the House, but at the Party level, he can definitely intervene to ensure that the tension is doused. This governor has had a lot if fights and troubles in the last eighteen months of his stay. In fairness to him, he has been navigating through the troubles, but, the fewer the crisis, the better for him and his administration. Those who create crisis within the administration for him, don’t wish him well. The Party leadership in the State must stand up to their responsibility and help the governor to have a stable legislature. That’s will be in the best interest of the Party, the State and the administration.
While that is ongoing, it would be right to find out those behind those gunshots outside the complex. This shouldn’t be another case of unknown gunmen. These gunmen must be identified and if they were policemen who fired warning shots to restore some normalcy or scare off potential intruders, then, they should explain that to their superiors in the NPF, but if they were some intruders or even House members that fired the shots, then, they shouldn’t escape sanctions.
Some people may think that what happened didn’t matter. After all, it happens in order States and had even happened in Imo before. The truth is that given the fragility of the peace in that State at the moment, anyone creating any new tension is not helping the government. Imo shouldn’t become notorious for crisis, because such perception scares investors away. We must understand that prosperity can only come in an environment where there is peace. So, everyone who cherishes the prosperity of the State must work for peace and harmony, no matter on which side of the political divide you find yourself.
IMO MUST WIN!
