Just In: Five Suspended Imo Lawmakers Return To The House

The five suspended IMO lawmakers on Tuesday were readmitted back to the House of Assembly. Vanguard was at the plenary session when the Speaker, Acho Ihim, at about 1:48 pm announced that all issues surrounding their suspension have been resolved. The affected lawmakers were Ifeanyi Nnataraonye (Mbaitoli) Uche Oguwuike (Ikeduru) Donatus Onuigwe (Oru West) Chiji Collins (Isiala Mbano) and Nkenna Nzeruo (Oru east). Vanguard had reported that the leadership of the House last week instructed the clerk to write to the suspended lawmakers, to come on 16 April 2019 and interface with the House at the executive session for a possible recall. According to the Speaker, “You will recall that some of the suspended lawmakers were asked in the last sitting to come and interface with the House and I am glad to announce to you now that, the issues of the suspended members have been done and concluded. They have been readmitted back into the House.” Reps suspend plenary till April 2 for budget defence It should be recalled that the power play that led to the suspension of the said lawmakers, was linked to the dramatic impeachment of the outgoing Deputy governor of Imo state, Eze Madumere, who at that time political game, was reinstated by the court. However, the event that led to the return of the suspended lawmakers, started when some of their colleagues at the plenary raised an eyebrow over the delay in recalling them. It started last week, when the member representing Nkwerre state constituency, Chika Madumere, raised a point of order appealing to his fellow members to join him in the move to ensure that their suspended colleagues were recalled. In Madumere’s view, “I rise to appeal to my colleagues in the House that five of our members who were suspended that they should be recalled  so that they can represent their respective constituencies.” Joining in the campaign to recall the suspended members, was Mr Lawman Duruji, representing Ehime Mbano state constituency among others.