Steve Oko
10 November 2009
Umuahia — The era of cordial relationship that has existed between the Abia House of assembly and the Executive appears to be heading for collision as the Lawmakers in less than one week after resuming from two-months annual recess have embarked on indefinite recess to protest non payment of their overhead cost and other allowances even as teachers and some council workers in the state threaten to down tools over backlog of salary arrears.
Hon. Chidi Nwosu, member representing Umuahia South State Constituency (PDP) at the State House of Assembly dropped the shocker Friday while fielding questions from news men at the Aguiyi Ironsi Conference Center , Umuahia during the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Zone C meeting.
The law maker accused the executive of maladministration, mismanagement, non implementation of the House services commission as well as starving the House of funds.
"There is maladministration. There is mismanagement of resources, and there is non in-ward looking as to how to mop up funds for the establishments to function effectively. The House has just resumed on October 27, after a 60 - day recess and now we have gone into another recess".
Hon. Nwosu also lambasted the media for saying the state government is media - friendly, accusing the press of compromising its role of holding the government accountable to the people through constructive criticism.
"When people say that the governor or state is media friendly, I see it to the extent that the press has been mortgaged because if the media are doing the proper thing the friendliness will not be there. If the government is not doing well and the press fails to criticize it, definitely, the friendliness will continue to exist. Immediately you establish yourself as a media to confront truly and rightfully bringing back the motto of renaissance as in the 70s, every body will sit up".
The legislator also denied the allegation that the opposition members of the house are more pro-government than their colleagues who are members of the ruling party, and simply said, "when bills come from the executive, we redefine the bills to suit the people and if it is not implemented, it is the function of the executive".
He further stated that the House has started issuing summons to some ministries to explain whether or not they were given allocations, maintaining that the law makers would call off the recess as good as the impasse was resolved.
In a swift reaction however, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Kingsley Emeruwa said the law maker was carried away by his privileged of being a member of the hallowed chamber and should be ignored for accusing the state government of mismanagement of funds, arguing that he is not the Speaker and thus, lacks the authority to speak for the House.
Efforts to get at the Speaker of the House, Ret Hon. Agwu U. Agwu did not yield any fruits as he was said to have traveled outside the state, but his Chief Press secretary, Mr. Chima Okoro roundly denied that the House was on strike and said anybody claiming otherwise was the one on strike and not the entire House.
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2009 Daily Champion. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
Abia State is always first in every thing including crime, we are aware of these facts but we know God will intervene one day like He did in Imo State during the Otokoto seige