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BY SUNNY A. DAVID
The Anambra State House of Assembly complex as members who thronged the Executive Session in their numbers were conspicuously absent from the plenary session when the bell rang for the legislators to assemble inside the legislative chambers for their constitutional assignment.
The scenario which could be described as a conspiracy of absence left the Speaker Rt. Hon. Uche Victor Okafor with no choice but to reluctantly adjourn plenary to Thursday 4th May, 2023, when he came into the legislative chambers and met only 4 members waiting to commence the business of the day.
It was after the House had adjourned to Thursday this week and the Speaker was on his way out of the chambers that some members who were still within the legislative complex scampered into the chambers only to meet the Speaker and 4 other colleagues coming out disappointingly.
When our correspondent investigated further as to why the multitude of legislators who attended Executive Session suddenly disappeared from plenary over obscure reasons, some lawmakers bared their minds.
Engr. Emmanuel Nwafor of Orumba-South State constituency told our correspondent that the development was unbecoming of people who were elected by their constituents to serve in such capacities and maintained that the Executive Session was filled to the brim but when it was time for legislative business, nobody was found inside the chambers.
According to him, the Speaker had left when some five members came into the chambers which he said would have been enough to form a quorum. Emma Nwafor who attributed their attitudes to incompetence, stressed that it was rather unfortunate that more than 50% of the members attended in-camera session but boycotted the main reason they were elected into the House of Assembly.
Nwafor who was re-elected to serve in the 8th assembly, however advised incoming legislators to be competent and maintain time for legislative proceedings.
He said, “If the Speaker says it’s time for legislative business, you don’t need to start walking around or attending to your visitors. You just walk straight from the Executive Session to the plenary.
“In fact there would be new rules in this House of Assembly. The ranking returning members have concluded to handle this House to be a standard House. We want to face business this time and the new comers will be aligned with the conditions of the House and competence especially in maintaining time.”
Another Lawmaker Hon. Noble Chukwunonso Igwe who represents Ogbaru 1 State constituency, said one thing or the other may have prompted the House members to go into their offices to attend to a few things only for them to come to the chambers afterwards to find out that the House had adjourned.
Igwe said he was around the legislative complex but was not in the chambers when the House adjourned abruptly even as he pointed out that other members who were not in the plenary could have their reasons.
For the Lawmaker representing Anaocha 2 State constituency and Chairman House of Assembly Committee on Education, Hon. Ejike Okechukwu, nothing much happened; only that the House was unable to form a quorum and they had to call Order 5 Rule 25 to call the attention of the Right Honourable Speaker that quorum was not formed and the House could not sit.
Hon. Okechukwu said items on the Order Paper were very important bills that required the presence of quorum for proper discussions in the interest of Ndi-Anambra. But were deferred to Thursday when members would reconvene for plenary.
He also stated that it was the period of election petition matters and that some of the Lawmakers who interacted with him after their Executive Session, said the majority of the Lawmakers had to leave to go and interface with their lawyers on how to execute their cases in court.
