By Ifeanyi Maduako
The suspension of Honourable Uche Ogbuagu representing Ikeduru State Constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly and five others last Thursday July 8, 2021 by the presiding officers of the House came like a thunderbolt from the blues.
It was apparently unexpected by majority of Imo people. Ambassador Uche Ogbuagu is a man
I have never met for once in my lifetime. I do not know him from Adam, but his name rings bell because he is a household name in the entertainment industry and philanthropy for decades even before he ventured into the murky waters of politics.
However, that I do not know him personally does not mean that I have not been hearing, reading and seeing all the novel projects and activities he has been bequeathing to humanity, particularly to his Ikeduru constituents. Uche Ogbuagu, including five other legislators were said to have been suspended for “unparliamentary conduct”.* What constitutes “Unparliamentary conduct? It should be defined and made explicit by those bandying such nomenclature to the uninformed or uninitiated populace.
Does Uche Ogbuagu’s laudable projects in Ikeduru State Constituency constitute unparliamentary conduct? Are his projects, most of which he had executed with his personal funds, which are scattered all over both Ikeduru and Mbaitoli constituencies constitute unparliamentary conduct? Can a sterling performance by a lawmaker be regarded as unparliamentary conduct? Uche Ogbuagu’s suspension is a typical case of dogs eating dogs. It is metaphorically seen as where darkness is struggling to dim light.
Why should a reasonable State Assembly constitute a clog in the wheel of progress of a performing lawmaker? Shouldn’t a lawmaker like Uche Ogbuagu who is putting up an above average performance be encouraged by the leadership of House to continue what he has been doing because he is the poster boy of the state legislature in terms of performance? All lawmakers are equals. The leadership of the House is just a primus inter pares, the first among equals. No constituency is greater than the other. That one is privileged to be a presiding officer or a principal officer of the House does not make him extraordinary or superior to the others.
Uche Ogbuagu was allegedly promised the position of the Deputy Speaker of the House at the inception of this ninth assembly. They denied him the position. He was made the Majority Leader of the House in March, 2020. About a year later, they removed him. He has taken all this humiliation in his strides and equanimity, and moved on with his life. Yet, his traducers are not satisfied. They are not relenting. What really do they want form him? Do they want Ikeduru and these other five constituencies to be without representation? What is the angst of the leadership against Uche Ogbuagu and five others? Should lawmakers of equal constitutional rights and privileges play slave or subservience to their fellow lawmakers? The present presiding and principal officers of the Imo House of Assembly should realize that political power does not begin and end in their current positions.
Power is transient. I have carefully observed that what is playing out in the State House of Assembly is ego-tripping. A particularly young presiding officer who is the de facto speaker of the House feels that his colleagues should be his serfs while he reigns as the lord of the manor. He brooks no dissent or opposing views. His colleagues have been attending plenary sessions with their hearts in their mouths for fear of being suspended from the House, should that be the case?The young man has a brighter future in politics, but the way and manner he has been trampling on the freedom and rights of his colleagues and amassing more political enemies may imperil his political future.
Rt. Honourable Ugonna Ozuruigbo (OZB) was a Deputy Speaker when Owelle Rochas Okorocha from Orlu Zone was also the governor. However, OZB never intimidated, harassed and harangued his colleagues by taking leverage of his proximity to those in the corridors of power at the time. This administration ably led by Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma is still relatively young for political associates to create more problems for him. Governor Uzodimma is far more experienced in legislative business than all the members of the House of Assembly put together having been a Distinguished Senator for eight good years, chairing important committees at the red chamber. He knows legislative rules and business like the back of his hands, and I do not think that he would present defective executive bills to the Imo parliament for consideration and debate. I also do not think that Uche Ogbuagu and the five others suspended can oppose any bill from the governor knowing full well that he must have painstakingly prepared it.
The governor only needs to treat then equally without any atom of segregation and preferential treatment. Granted that principal officers are usually accorded preferential treatment, but what is due for the floor members should be given to them. They need their salaries and constituency allowances to put up one or two projects in their various constituencies.
A situation where a state legislator is denied his constituency allowance, and he/she relies only on salary that is even less than one million naira every month is not fair, it is unjust.
Some legislators should not be getting millions of naira every month while the rejected and maltreated ones are just there swallowing dry spittle. No human being who is unfairly treated that would be happy or not display his/her displeasure, even slaves do. All the 27 lawmakers should be carried along. If there are no funds to pay them their normal constituency allowances, it should be explained to them during their interface with the governor.
The immediate past Chief Whip, Hon. Arthur Egwim, had alleged that they have not had access to the governor in the past six months, even during the notorious era of the “unknown gunmen”, how could that be? If the allegation is true, it is inappropriate. I wager that no lawmaker is contemplating or nursing the idea of impeaching the governor who is working so hard to correct the anomalies and locust years of yesteryears.
No lawmaker dare contemplate such, and if any of them ever nurses such idea, then the person should be reprimanded.Therefore, suspending lawmakers on flimsy and nebulous allegation of “unparliamentary conduct” which cannot be explained to the masses was unnecessary. They should all be recalled back to the House without further delay.
The young man calling the shots in the House should allow peace to reign. It is even laughable that the six legislators were suspended first without referring them to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition. It is even more bizarre that the chairman of the committee set up to look into their suspension is the same man who engineered their suspension. How then can they get a fair hearing?The governor should not be distracted further having been subjected to severe distractions since he assumed office.
Those opening more war fronts for the governor should desist from doing so and allow peace to percolate in Imo State which is just recovering from the rubbles and ashes of monumental upheaval.
Maduako, writes from Owerri (08061562735).
