The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Imo Assembly

  • Imo Assembly moves to stop hoteliers, food dealers fromdischarging waste into drainages

    Imo Assembly moves to stop hoteliers, food dealers fromdischarging waste into drainages

    Imo State House of Assembly lawmakers have expressed discomfort over the unhygienic practice of hoteliers, eateries, bars and allied food dealers who discharge liquid waste directly into drainages, without considering the health implications and challenge it poses in society.

    The Chairman of House Committee On Environment, the member representing Mbaitoli State Constituency,  Innocent Ikechukwu Ikpamezie who moved the motion, expressed sadness that despite the efforts of the State Government to keep the State clean and hygienic, and to ensure Imo citizens are healthy, majority of hotel operators, bars and allied food dealers have made it a habit to block gutters within their business locations.

     He noted that these liquid wastes, which emit offensive odours have become inimical to human health.

    In his words, “We are suffering from pains which we may not know how it came about.  In a more organized society, hotels, eateries, and bars have clean gutters. Their wastes are discharged into soakaways which they provide within their business premises.

    “But here in  Imo State, especially, the State capital, Owerri, the situation is completely different. This is unacceptable. I strongly believe that most unusual illnesses in Owerri are a result of inhaling the stench that emits from the gutters within the location of these hotels, bars, and allied food dealers. 

    “People are dying in numbers. Let us provide the enabling laws, regulations, and  directives, to make hoteliers, etc  do the right thing and save the society from a looming epidemic.” 

    Read Also: Imo Assembly vows to seal substandard sachet, bottled water factories

    The Motion which was seconded by  Hon  Bernard Ozoemelam, member representing Ehime Mbano State Constituency,  was co-sponsored by  Hon Dr Henry Agbasonu (Ezinihitte Mbaise),  Hon James Uba Esile (Onuimo), Hon Bernard Ozoemelam (Ehime Mbano), Hon Dr Ikenna Ihezuo (Orlu), Hon  Kelechi Ofurum (Owerri-North), Hon Chief Barrister Sam Ikechukwu Osuji (Isiala-Mbano).

     However, one lawmaker, Hon Barrister Chisom Ojukwu, a member representing Nkwerre State Constituency,  opposed the motion, on grounds that as the House Committee Chairman on Environment,   Innocent  Ikpamezie should use his position to practically get the Ministry of Environment to get the hoteliers to do the right thing, rather than coming on the floor of the House with a motion.

     Having listened satisfactorily to the contributions of the members, the Speaker, Rt Hon. Chike Olemgbe, adopted the motion to direct all hotels, eateries, bars, and Allied food dealers to make provision for soakaway where all liquid waste would be channeled to avoid cosmic pollution.

  • Imo Assembly vows to seal substandard sachet, bottled water factories

    Imo Assembly vows to seal substandard sachet, bottled water factories

    The Imo State House of Assembly in conjunction with the State Ministry of Health and other associated agencies have resolved to seal sachet and bottled water production factories in the state over substandard practices.

    This was disclosed by the chairman of the House committee on health, Hon Sam Otuibe, during a meeting with the Executive of the Association of Table Waters Production (ATWAP), on Thursday, at the Assembly Complex in Owerri.

    Otuibe bemoaned the substandard practices of table water producers in the state, saying it has caused a lot of health challenges to Imo citizens who patronize their products on daily basis.

    He said: “This unwholesome practices will no longer be allowed to thrive in the state.”

    Otuibe, who is the member representing Ahiazu Mbaise state constituency, said the taste of water being produced in the state is poisoning and killing people.

    Read Also: Declare a state of emergency now!

    He said: “We are alarmed that the taste of water produced in Imo State is nothing to write home about. You cannot be poisoning Imo people in the name of doing business and making money. This is very sad, alarming and should be condemned by all reasonable members of the public.”

    He noted that majority of the table water contains iron that has been responsible for the high rise in kidney and liver infection and related diseases in the state.

    He stated: “Majority of table waters in the state have iron, that is why there is very high rise in kidney and liver infection and related diseases in Imo state. You cannot be reaping people off, while they are dying of bad and poisoned water.

    “Since some of your water factories are not following laid down regulations, we will seal them to protect Imo citizens. Only very few table waters are safe for Imo citizens to drink, like Eva water, Mangero water and very few others.

    “Some of you don’t even have NAFDAC registration numbers and have been operating illegally. Moving forward therefore, every table water company in the State will undergo laboratory tests. Those that fail the test will be sealed, the names made public and owners prosecuted. We will also publish table waters that passed the tests, for Imo citizens to take note.”

    Contributing, a member of the committee, Hon Chigozie Nwaneri and Member Representing Oru-East State Constituency, informed the table water producers that investigations have been carried out on what they are producing as “table water” for Imo citizens and have been confirmed to be substandard, hence they were summoned to appear before the committee on health.

    According to Hon Nwaneri, “We have done our due diligence before inviting you here. We invited you people here to make it right. We will be failing as a Committee if we keep quiet, with the information we have, and allow Imo citizens to continue to have health challenges, as a result of your unwholesome and unpatriotic activities in table water production in the state.”

    Another committee member, Honorable Dominic Ezerioha, representing Oru-West State Constituency, expressed deep concern over the escalating number of casualties in the state’s hospitals due to the consumption of contaminated water from sachets and bottled sources.

    “Most water factories in the State are producing with untreated tap water. 29% of Imo citizens who don’t take alcohol are today suffering from kidney related illnesses, because they drink untreated water produced by you people. This is wickedness. We have the statistics. I am very sure you don’t know the standard for drinking quality water in Nigeria, especially, in Imo State. Well, let me inform you : pH value for the water sample range from 5.10 to 6.63, with a mean value of 6.05.”

    He noted that most the factories exposed sachet and bottled water to sunlight which he said is very dangerous and injurious to health.

    “It causes cancer and leukemia, which damages body tissues, typhoid fever, diarrhea etc. Your trucks used for distributing sachet and bottled waters should be covered to protect the waters from the sunlight.”

    The Association of Table Water Production (ATWAP), however, pleaded with the committee on health to give them time to reach out to their members to take precautionary measures and ensure, henceforth, production of table waters are done in hygienic environment, while observing other regulatory provisions.

    The plea was rejected by the committee, on the grounds that it would be at the expense of Imo citizens, who must be protected.

  • Okorocha presents N276b 2019 Appropriation Bill to Imo Assembly

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday presented a budget proposal of N276,818,071,812 for the 2019 fiscal year.

    A breakdown of the budget showed that N214,641,699,585, representing 77.54 per cent of the total budget, is earmarked for capital expenditure, while N62,176,372,227, representing 22.46 per cent of the budget, is set aside for recurrent expenditure.

    Presenting the budget, tagged: Budget of Consolidation and Economic Stability, the governor noted that “with the presentation of the 2019 budget proposal to the Assembly, we have launched the state into the last phase of the Rescue Mission Development Plan”.

    Read also: Imo Assembly suspends four members

    He said his administration’s commitment to making the state a robust as well as the fastest-growing economy in Nigeria, remained irrevocable.

    According to him, the budget proposal provides a realistic platform for the attainment of the state’s development goals “under the Rescue Mission State Department Plan”.

    Okorocha said the budget was designed to ensure the completion of ongoing projects and improve the economic growth through investment infrastructure.

    He added: “It gives hope and practical support to our youths, who are key to our prosperous future; it will not only consolidate our development efforts but will also ensure prudence and efficiency in our expenditure programmes.”

     

  • Imo deputy governor impeached

    Head of Service to be sworn in

     

    Imo Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere has been impeached. He was impeached by 19 members out of the 27 members of the House of assembly.

    The Speaker Acho Ihim says the impeachment followed the indictment of the report f the 7-man panel constituted by the Chief Judge of the state to investigate allegations of gross misconduct.

    The motion for the impeachment was moved by the member representing Owerri Municipal, Hon Lugard Osuji and seconded by the member representing Owerri North, Hon Victor Onyewuchi.

    The Deputy Governor was accused of abandoning his official duties for three months without reasons or official permission, failure to perform constitutional duties like attending state Exco and state Security Council, failure to attend meetings with the Governor and other government functionaries and
    concealment of felonious act in the United States.

    Meanwhile the State Head of Service, Callistus Okenze has been nominated to replace Madumere as the Deputy Governor.

    Okenze is from Mbaitoli Council Area, the same with the former Deputy Governor.

    It will be recalled that Madumere was nominated Deputy Governor in 2013 after Jude Agbaso was impeached for alleged corrupt practices.

  • Imo Assembly suspends four members

    The Imo State House of Assembly has suspended four lawmakers for alleged “un-parliamentary” conducts.

    The suspended lawmakers are Chiji Collins (Isiala Mbano); Ifeanyi Nnataraonye (Mbaitoli); Uche Oguwuike (Ikeduru) and Ikenna Nzeruo (Oru West).

    The development has heightened tension as it is the first plenary after the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja where supporters of the governor and his deputy engaged each other in a showdown while President Muhammadu Buhari addressed the convention.

    The Speaker, Acho Ihim, accused the suspended lawmakers of engaging in acts that are unbecoming of lawmakers.

    He appointed Lawman Duruji (Ehime Mbano) to chair the disciplinary committee to address the matter.

    Ihim, who did not give details of the allegations, said the suspension was indefinite, warning that his leadership would not tolerate acts that would ridicule the Assembly.

  • Imo Assembly directs CJ to set up panel on deputy governor

    The Imo State House of Assembly on Wednesday directed the state Chief Judge, Paschal Nnadi, to constitute the mandatory seven-man committee to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct levelled against the Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere.

    The House during Wednesday’s sitting, ordered the Clerk of the House, Chris Duru, to write the chief judge to probe the allegations and ascertain if the deputy governor was guilty of gross misconduct as contained in a petition signed by 13 members of the House.

    The Deputy Speaker of the House, Ugonna Ozuruigbo, had submitted a petition during an emergency sitting, which accused Madumere of gross misconduct, among others.

    Meanwhile, kinsmen of the embattled deputy governor took to the streets of Owerri to condemn the impeachment proceedings, describing it as political persecution.

    The protesters, who displayed various placards, asked the House to halt the impeachment proceeding, adding that “the deputy governor is innocent of the allegations.”

    The protesters who stormed the House of Assembly complex were not allowed to see the Speaker.

    The leader of the protesting kinsmen, Caroline Amadi, said the lawmakers were “crucifying the wrong person.”

    Amadi, a former commissioner for health in the state, said Madumere was being persecuted for expressing his 2019 political ambition publicly.

  • Imo Assembly begins impeachment process against Madumere

    The Imo State House of Assembly has begun the impeachment proceeding against Deputy Governor Eze Madumere over allegations of gross misconduct and dereliction of duty.

    A petition submitted by the Deputy Speaker, Nnanna Ozuruigbo, and signed by 13 of the 27 lawmakers, accused Madumere of absconding from his office for more than three months without permission.

    Other allegations were his refusal to carry out official duties assigned him by the governor, refusal to attend State Executive Council (SEC) meetings, refusal to hold meetings with the governor and commissioners and imprisonment for theft in the United States of America (USA).

    Madumere has been having a running battle with his boss, Governor Rochas Okorocha, for his governorship ambition which saw him aligning with other politicians against the governor.

    The Speaker, Acho Ihim, said the petition has met and surpassed the required one third votes, as provided in Section 188 (2) 11 of the 1999 Constitution.

    But Madumere, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Uche Onwuchekwa, denied the allegations of misconduct.

    The statement reads: “The claim of absence is rather an old ploy of calling a dog a bad name to hang it. Fortunately, the deputy governor is an administrator per excellence who does not joke with his duties, especially his constitutional responsibilities. He did not abscond from office during the period so claimed.

    “Allegations that Madumere refused to attend State Executive Council meetings cannot stand any administrative procedure. There are laid down procedures through which a Deputy Governor, or any member of the executive council, can be invited for executive council meetings. We, hereby, state that the deputy governor was never invited for such meetings, either through a memo or any official notices.

    “The allegation of concealment of felonious conduct affecting the presentation of self as eligible candidate of office of Deputy Governor of Imo State is not only astonishing, but an extreme show of lack of due diligence. Prince Madumere has never been convicted of any civil matter, let alone theft.

    “We are pained to state that two times he lost his freedom in detention were all in the course of saving Governor Rochas Okorocha from public disgrace; he carried Okorocha’s cross and bore his shame.

    “Madumere, shortly after Achike Udenwa’s victory in 1999, faced contempt of court for failure to appear in court because he was in detention in the United States for about one month because he was delayed by Okorocha. But thank God he was acquitted of any wrong doing.

    “The second time he had to stoop that Governor Okorocha may be spared of the humiliation of getting incarcerated, Prince Madumere again yielded and was detained for almost two months on phony charges, which he also been absolved of.”

  • Imo Assembly moves to impeach deputy governor over ‘misconduct’

    The Imo State House of Assembly, Tuesday, commenced impeachment proceeding against the State Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere, over allegations of gross misconduct and dereliction of duty.

    In a petition submitted by the Deputy Speaker, Nnanna Ozuruigbo and signed by 13 out of the 27 members of the House, the deputy governor was accused of absconding from his office for more than three months without permission and should be impeached.

    Other allegations were the deputy governor’s refusal to carry out official duties assigned him by the governor, refusal to attend State Executive Council meetings, refusal to hold meetings with the governor and commissioners and imprisonment for theft in the United States.

    Madumere has been having a running battle with Governor Rochas Okorocha over his governorship ambition which saw him aligning with other politicians against the governor.

    Calling for presentation of the petition, the Speaker of the House, Acho Ihim, said the petition has met and surpassed the required one- third as provided in Section 188 (2) 11 of the 1999 Constitution.

    The House has 27 members but four were earlier suspended for “unparliamentary conduct.”

    The House thereafter set up a six-man committee headed by Hon Kennedy Ibe, member representing Obowo Local Government Area, to probe the allegations and report back to the House within seven days.

  • Imo Assembly suspends four members

    The Imo State House of Assembly has suspended four lawmakers for alleged “unparliamentary” conducts.

    The suspended lawmakers are Chiji Collins (Isiala Mbano); Ifeanyi Nnataraonye (Mbaitoli); Uche Oguwuike (Ikeduru) and Ikenna Nzeruo (Oru West).

    The development has heightened tension as it is the first plenary after the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja where supporters of the governor and his deputy engaged each other in a showdown while President Muhammadu Buhari addressed the convention.

    The Speaker, Acho Ihim, accused the suspended lawmakers of engaging in acts that are unbecoming of lawmakers.

    He appointed Lawman Duruji (Ehime Mbano) to chair the disciplinary committee to address the matter.

    Ihim, who did not give details of the allegations, said the suspension was indefinite, warning that his leadership would not tolerate acts that would ridicule the Assembly.

  • Senator cautions Imo Assembly new speaker

    Senator cautions Imo Assembly new speaker

    A socio-political crusader in Imo State, Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha has congratulated the new Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Iheanacho Ihim (Onwa) on his elevation as the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly.

    Samuelson described Dr. Acho Ihim as a grassroots politician who has re-integrated himself back with the mainstream political leaders across the state.

    Iwuoha, who played a major role that stopped Hon. Ihim from emerging Speaker on June 7, 2011, which eventually saw to the emergence of former Speaker Benjamin Uwajumogu, however, cautioned the new speaker on the kind of aides he would recruit to pilot the affairs of the 6th Assembly.

    Iwuoha specifically advised Hon. Ihim to do away with the former Speaker’s senior aides if he does not want the rain to beat him. Iwuoha mentioned the name of the former Chief of Staff, Mr. Kodichi Anamekwe and others like Mr. Emeka Ahaneku, Mr. Godson Amadikwa, Mr. Kingsley Ndubueze, Mr. Dan Orji, Mr. Ugwu and Mr. Ifeanyi Nwannenna etc. as people which Hon. Ihim should stay away from, if he intends to make any meaningful impact as speaker.

    While Kodichi Anamekwe defrauded the Assembly of Funds running into hundreds of millions of naira through fictitious and fraudulent supply of diesel (AGO), computer accessories, ghost workers, award of road contracts, financial assistance scam and burying of several charms allegedly prepared with new born babies and aborted babies at the Imo Assembly compound, Emeka Ahaneku defrauded the Assembly of funds running into tens of millions of naira through the general duties department of the office of the speaker.

    Through this department, Emeka Ahaneku signed off millions of naira for former Speaker’s sister Chidinma Uwajumogu’s non-governmental organisations – Development Initiative for African Women (DIFAW) and Development Initiative for African Youths (DIFAY).

    Also, Ahaneku brought down or reduced the number of media correspondents at the Imo State House of Assembly from 36 to only 16, thereby inflicting untold hardships on correspondents. He was stealing the sum of N300,000 from the correspondents stipends on monthly basis and so many other fraudulent activities.

    All these information are with EFCC and force headquarters. Emeka Ahaneku is a serial blackmailer who operates with pseudo names (fake names) such as Amaefula Amadi, Chinonso Obi, Ikenna Obioha and most recently Barrister Chikodi Amadi etc.

    He uses these names to blackmail people of integrity and credibility. He recently blackmailed the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, with the name Barrister Chikodi Amadi accusing him of interfering with Assembly matters. The rest of Godson Amadikwa, Kingsley Ndubueze, Dan Orji, Ugwu, Ifeanyi Nwannenna etc are members of the Ihitte/Uboma cabal that saw to the desecration of the office of the speaker. Anything that has a beginning must have an end.

    Samuelson pointed out that the names he mentioned above including Speaker Uwajumogu should be held responsible for the various deaths that occurred at the Speaker’s office between 2011 and 2014.

    The social crusader finally advised Hon. Ihim to make use of aides from among the Acho Ihim Campaign Organisations and credible people across the state.

    “Ihim must not allow the rain to beat him and the only way to avoid the rain from beating him is to do away with Kodichi Anamekwe, Emeka Ahaneku, Godson Amadikwa, Kingsley Ndubueze, Dan Orji, Ugwu, Ifeanyi Nwannenna etc.

    Political leaders should advise Hon. Ihim better because I am ruthlessly serious. I want him to succeed in Jesus Name, Amen,’’ Samuelson concluded.

    The new Deputy Speaker Hon. Ugonna Ozuruigbo was also congratulated by the social crusader.

    Iwuoha has further cautioned the new Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Ihim over the alleged plan to retain senior aides of the former Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu.

    Samuelson maintained that retaining those boys by Dr. Ihim would mean inheriting Uwajumogu’s problems, battles and troubles as he would not sheath his sword against the office of the Speaker.

    He has therefore pleaded with the Clerk of the House, Chief Chris Duru and the other honourable members, including political and religious leaders to talk sense into Hon. Ihim so that he would not make the mistake of inheriting Uwajumogu’s problems by attempting to retain any of those senior aides whose names he listed.

    Few days ago, Samuelson had congratulated the new Speaker on his emergence but strictly cautioned him never to retain Uwajumogu’s senior aides over their criminal, fraudulent and occultic tendencies including his battles with the office of the speaker.