IMO ASSEMBLY SUSPENDS 3 LAWMAKERS FOR POOR SITTING ATTENDANCE

REPORTER: CHINAZO ILECHUKWU

The Imo State House of Assembly has again suspended three lawmakers for alleged boycott of the process leading to the passage of the 2022 appropriation bill.

Those affected are the representative of Ideato North, Chief Arthur Egwim; that of Isu, Mrs. Ngozi Obiefule; and the lawmaker representing Nkwerre, Mr. Obinna Okwara, all of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

The Speaker of the House, Chief Kennedy Ibeh, announced this in Owerri during a plenary on Thursday.

He said the indefinite suspension was to check recalcitrance among the lawmakers.

The Speaker also declared the Seat of Ngor Okpala State Constituency vacant over failure of the lawmaker representing the area, Mr. Tochi Okereke, to attain the constitutional required number of sittings within a given period.

According to the Speaker, the records indicate that the lawmaker had not made an appearance to the house since 2021, noting that he only attended sittings 19 times in 2020 and 29 in 2019.

Chief Ibeh therefore directed that a bye election be conducted in the constituency to replace the lawmaker.

The affected lawmakers were yet to react to the development.

This is the fourth time the House, under three different Speakers, is suspending lawmakers for alleged misconduct.