The Abia State House of Assembly under the leadership of Rt.Hon.Emmanuel Emeruwa has slammed a 14 legislative day suspension on member representing, Obingwa East State constituency.
Making the pronouncement on the floor of the Abia State House of Assembly on Tuesday, the Speaker of the House, said the 8th Abia House of Assembly cannot tolerate acts of insubordination, adding that Hon. Akpulonu has been inciting members of the House against the leadership of the 8th Assembly.
He pointed out that it was absolutely wrong for the lawmaker to be granting press interviews and revealing all the House activities, without proper clearance from the leadership of the House, insisting that what is done in the House should remain in the House.
In his pronouncement, Emeruwa said:
“I will like to draw our attention to the chaos that has always bedeviled our plenary sessions in previous dates.
“We are all civilized and we were elected to be in the state house of Assembly and we are required to behave in a very absolutely civilized manner.
“We are no touts and therefore, if we have grievances or if we want to disagree with anybody in this house, we do it democratically and in a civil manner.
“As your speaker, I will not tolerate such behavior going forward.
“My honorable colleague, the member representing Obingwa East State Constituency has consistently done that by causing nuisance in the hallowed chambers.
“If you want to tell me that it is democratic, I will say no and I have so far tolerated it to the point I can no longer tolerate it.
“You all gave me the mandate to preside over this house and that should be respected, it is not my person, it is the power you gave me to do that.
“You all know that whatever happens in the House, remains in the house, my honorable colleague has consistently gone to the press without getting clearance from us, without clearing from the speaker incessantly and the evidence is there.
“There are consequences for every action. Even though he is not here, the message will be related to him to not attend subsequent sessions for the next 14 sitting days. Effective immediately, Hon. Solomon Akpulonu will no longer be allowed to sit for the next 14 sitting days.”
Recall that, there has been an internal leadership tussle in the Abia State House of Assembly currently, between the ruling Labour Party, LP, and the PDP where the PDP vehemently claimed that they are the Party with the simple majority in the State House of Assembly therefore should have the majority leadership positions allocated to them.
Hon. Akpulonu who was the immediate past Majority Leader of the concluded 7th Abia Assembly had argued before now that he cannot sit and watch the Speaker and the entire Labour Party legislators of the 8th Assembly unlawfully take the positions legitimately belongs to the PDP which has the majority of members in the current Assembly.
He had told newsmen, that elected members of the PDP constitutes simple majority of the Assembly with 11members while the Labour Party, LP, has 10 members, Young Progressives Party, YPP, 2 and All Progressives Congress, APC, 1.
