Ebonyi Assembly Gets New Deputy Speaker

in Abakaliki Following the declaration of the seats of the former deputy Speaker of Ebonyi state house of assembly, Hon. Blaize Orji by the Speaker, Chukwuma Nwazunku, the lawmakers have elected Hon. Jerry Obasi as the new deputy Speaker to replace the former member of the assembly.

The Speaker had on February 11 declared three members’ seat vacant for defecting to the Labour Party without any proof that there was crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which they were elected into office.

Orji was impeached and his seat declared vacant as offshoot of the crisis that erupted in the assembly. Others affected in the recent batch include: Ikechukwu Nwankwo, Eloi Ogbonna and Mrs. Lilian Igwe (Ivo).

However, eight members’ seats have been declared vacant so far and they include Orji, Oliver Nwachukwu; former House Majority, Sam Nwali (Ikwo North); Mabel Aleke (Ohaukwu South); former Speaker, Ikechukwu Nwankwo; Eni Uduma Chima (Afikpo South West); Helen Nwobashi (Abakaliki South); Ogbonna; and Lillian Igwe.

Meanwhile, a substantive Majority Leader, Hon Ikechukwu Ogbu (Ishielu North) has been elected while Chris Usulo (Ezza South) was elected the deputy speaker.

The lawmakers also decried the spate of what they described as “last minute looting” of government property and illegality in appointments and massive recruitment of civil servant, warning that the action would not stand the test of law.