The recent approval of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu’s request for a N30 billion loan request by the Abia State House of Assembly is steeped in controversy.

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

The Abia State House of Assembly may be heading for a major crisis as some lawmakers elected on the platform of the opposition All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, have accused the Speaker, Martin Azubuike, of deceiving them over the N30bn loan recently approved for the state government.

Okejie Ikpeazu

The minority leader of the House, Abraham Oba ( APGA/Aba Central), who addressed a press conference, penultimate Tuesday, in Umuahia,   said the speaker had, at the executive session, told the members that the loan was meant to finance some development projects in the state, including dredging of Aba River, road projects and health facilities.

He alleged that the Speaker had promised to clear the air about some fundamental issues raised by APGA members at the executive session but failed to do so at the plenary when the motion was raised and subsequently passed.

Fresh borrowing

Oba lamented that they were shocked two days after the passage of the resolution on the loan when the Economic Adviser to the Governor, Mr. Obinna Oriaku, said the loan was not “a fresh borrowing” but money meant to clear the accumulation of debts owed by the state.

“We have been deceived by the Speaker. He lied to us and we are no longer part of the approval,” Oba said.

Another APGA lawmaker member, representing Ikwuano State Constituency, Mr. Theophilus Ugbaja, said, “They sold a dummy to us that the state was only owing N6bn, and that the loan would be used to wipe off the debt and finance major projects in the state.

The APGA lawmakers, who attended the press conference, also warned commercial banks negotiating to grant the N30 billion loan to be cautious.

Piqued by the new stance of Mr. Oba, the House upon a motion inspired by Solomon Akpulonu (PDP/ Obingwa East) slammed an indefinite suspension from the House on the lawmaker for taking the internal discussion of the House to a press conference.

Akpulonu told Vanguard that Oba usurped the duties of the Speaker by contravening Rule 40, paragraphs 1&2 of the Abia House of Assembly, which states that (1):”No member may speak to any question after the same has been fully put by Mr. Speaker or Chairman (2) A question is fully put when Mr. Speaker or The Chairman has collected the voice both of the Ayes and the nays.”

Vanguard learnt that Oriaku has been summoned to the House to explain his statement where he claimed to have been quoted out of context.

Resolution passed through procedure—Speaker

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Clinton Uba, the Speaker condemned the position of some of the APGA lawmakers, stressing that in the resolution authorizing the loan deal, there was no breach of any parliamentary process before it was passed.

According to him, lawmakers painstakingly deliberated on the items requiring urgent attention, ranging from the dredging of Aba River, construction of bridges across the three senatorial zones of the state, construction and rehabilitation of roads in Abia State, building of modern hospitals across the three senatorial zones of the state.

Minority leader

He insisted that purpose of seeking the loan has not changed from what the governor itemized in his letter of request to the legislature.

APGA lawmakers  divided?

The development led to the removal of Oba as minority leader and his replacement by Ikedi Ezekwesiri (APGA/ Umunneochi).

Sources in the House told Vanguard that only two APGA members left the Chamber to console Oba as he was being led out by the Sergeant –at Arms, after his suspension while others began scheming on his replacement.

Vanguard also gathered that out of the 11 APGA lawmakers in the 24 member House, only 8 were present at the press conference, lending credence to the belief in some quarters that the APGA caucus is not united and may have sold out to the PDP.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Dr. Cosmos Ndukwe, who insisted that the action of the former Minority Leader was not right as the House had already approved the resolution, alleged that Oba and his colleagues were persuaded by the APGA governorship candidate, Dr. Alex Otti, to organize the press conference.

He maintained that the PDP had no hand in the decision to remove Oba as it was signed and moved by six APGA lawmakers in the House. Ndukwe further stated that not all APGA members were part of the press conference where Oba made the allegations.

The action of the APGA lawmakers was flayed by a political analyst, Vincent Ikemsinachi who chided them for treachery.

“The best thing the APGA lawmakers would have done is to stage a walk out on the floor of the House in solidarity with Abraham Oba. This would have sent a very strong message to the PDP. It is against the spirit of opposition to allow Oba to suffer from carrying out the decision of the caucus. It was a mistake for the six members to have moved to replace their leader. They have ridiculed the party and presented it as a weak opposition.”

APGA faults suspension

Contacted on the development, APGA State Secretary, Sunday Onukwubiri told journalists that the stand of the suspended minority leader was in defense of the mandate of the people that elected him into office.

“What had happened was a disappointment to Abia People, what the Minority leader did was to tell Abians what happened in the House,” Onukwubiri said.