Imo lawmakers vacate Assembly over roof leakage

Members of the Imo State House of Assembly will resume legislative duties tomorrow at the Ojukwu Centre in Owerri over the leakage of the Assembly’s roof. The lawmakers recently vacated the Assembly complex following the leakage of the roof. They were, however, criticised by the opposition for abandoning their legislative duties. When National Mirror visited the House of Assembly at the weekend, workers were seen working on the dilapidated complex.
A source close to the Secretary to the State Government office, who did not want his name mentioned, said that the lawmakers would resume sitting at the Ojukwu Centre premises tomorrow.
A member of opposition party, who did not want his name mentioned, said: “This is the worst House of Assembly since Imo State was created. Instead of providing the needed check and balance that will curtail the excesses of the executive arm, the members are hobnobbing with the executive to the detriment of the people. “The legislators have betrayed the people who elected them. If not, how can a state House of Assembly be shut down for over three months just because of a leaking roof ?” But the Special Assistant to the House Speaker on Media, Mr. Samuelson Iwuoha, explained that the lawmakers vacated the Assembly to allow for extensive renovation of the complex, adding that the long absence did not affect their legislative duties.
The Assembly was built by the administration of first executive governor of the state, Sam Mbakwe. It has not been renovated or upgraded by successive administrations since then. But the incumbent governor, Rochas Okorocha, decided to give the Assembly complex a facelift. Iwuoha said: “The lawmakers are not rubber stamp as insinuated by the opposition; they are working harmoniously in the overall interest of the state.”
He noted that the robust relationship between the executive and legislature was responsible for the massive development going on in the state. “What the opposition wanted was to use the lawmakers against the governor, but when the plot failed, they have now resorted to cheap blackmail. But the current House of Assembly under the leadership of Hon Benjamin Uwajumogu will not be on collision course with the governor as expected, because when that happens it is the state that will suffer for it.”



http://www.rss.firetoms.com/#article.php?siteName=nationalmirroronline&origLink=http%3A%2F%2Fnationalmirroronline.net%2Fnew%2F%3Fp%3D112760