Dan Opara
The political tension in Imo State on Tuesday, April,23rd 2019, heightened as lawmakers at the State House of Assembly summoned the State’s Accountant General, Mr.Casmir Ozuzu, and the Commissioner for Finance, Hon.Barr(Mrs) Ugochi Nnanna-Okoro, to appear before it on Wednesday, April 24th, 2019.
A motion moved by Hon. Chika Madumere, member representing Nkwerre, during plenary, urged the house to cause the Accountant General and Finance commissioner to come and give an account of the actual debt profile of the state since the governor had consistently said that the state was not indebted.
Madumere said that the accounts of the Accountant General and Finance Commissioner would give insight on the debt status of the state.
When the motion was put into votes, the lawmakers voted that the duo be invited to appear during plenary on Wednesday.
A motion to ascertain the position of the 2019 budget appropriation bill was moved by Hon. Kennedy Ibe.
Ibe said that since the governor presented the appropriation budget in December, it had not been passed into law.
The House Committee Chairman on budget appropriation, Hon. Marcel Odunze, said that “to the best of my knowledge as the House committee chairman on budget appropriation, the 2019 budget appropriation has not been passed into law but to my surprise, I am hearing that the budget has been passed”.
A motion for the 27 Local Government Area Chairmen to appear before the House on Wednesday was equally considered.
The motion which was moved by Hon. Arthur Egwim, of Ideato North, stated that the chairmen slighted an invitation by the house committee on LGA matters for them to give an account of the financial status of the councils.
Hon. Ibe who supported the motion said that it was an insult for the LGA chairmen to send two persons on the auspicious of ALGON, Imo State.
Ibe, who is lawyer said that ALGON was not known to law.
A motion compelling the secretary to the state government, Sir. Mark Uchendu, to appear before the house on Wednesday was equally considered.
The motion was moved, Hon. Lawman Duruji, of Ehime Mbano State.
Duruji said that it was unacceptable for the SSG to allegedly insult the legislature through a radio broadcast over the creation of new autonomous communities by the lawmakers last week.
The lawmaker said that the media content authorized by the SSG portrayed the legislature as dishonorable.
