Imo lawmakers suspend Clerk

The disagreement between Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State
and the 27 lawmakers on Thursday took a new dimension as the
legislators suspended the Clerk of the House, Chris Duru.

The plenary was conducted in an atmosphere of tension and
political pressure.

The lawmakers who sat for the first time since the disagreement
between them and the governor became public knowledge, suspended
the Clerk who was believed to be working for the governor and the
Speaker, Acho Ihim.

At the resumed plenary after the lawmakers boycotted the
proposed 2018 budget presentation by the governor, 22 out of the 27
lawmakers supported the motion which suspended the Clerk of the
House with immediate effect.

The motion was moved by the majority leader, Lugard Osuji, who
represents Owerri municipal state constituency.

The lawmakers suspended Duru for alleged “gross
under-performance,” which they said was against their (lawmakers’)
interest.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Marcel Ekwezuo, told
our correspondent that the legislators took the action because they
believed their interest and that of the suspended Clerk were
conflicting.

“The Clerk of the House, Chris Duru, was, at the plenary on
Thursday, suspended by the lawmakers.

“The suspension was hinged on gross under-performance, which was
viewed to be against the interest of the House.

“The motion was moved by the Majority Leader of the House,
Lugard Osuji, and supported by 21 other lawmakers,” the CPS
said.

On the allegation that the Clerk was suspended because he was
believed to be the right hand man of the Speaker who they alleged
was protecting the interest of the governor in the ongoing impasse,
Ekwezuo simply retorted, “Not to my knowledge.”

Meanwhile, some of the lawmakers who spoke to our correspondent
on strict condition of anonymity said the suspended Clerk “was
growing wings.”

One of the lawmakers said, “The Clerk was growing wings. He sees
himself as a more important person than the lawmakers.

“He opposes our instructions and thinks that he is
untouchable.

“Chris Duru thought that because he was the liaison officer of
the governor in the House and because of his closeness to the
Speaker, he could work against the interest of the lawmakers and
get away with it.”

Another lawmaker said that with the suspension of the Clerk, the
lawmakers could now “move against the Speaker and the
governor.”

The disagreement between Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State
and the 27 lawmakers on Thursday took a new dimension as the
legislators suspended the Clerk of the House, Chris Duru.

The plenary was conducted in an atmosphere of tension and
political pressure.

The lawmakers who sat for the first time since the disagreement
between them and the governor became public knowledge, suspended
the Clerk who was believed to be working for the governor and the
Speaker, Acho Ihim.

At the resumed plenary after the lawmakers boycotted the
proposed 2018 budget presentation by the governor, 22 out of the 27
lawmakers supported the motion which suspended the Clerk of the
House with immediate effect.

The motion was moved by the majority leader, Lugard Osuji, who
represents Owerri municipal state constituency.

The lawmakers suspended Duru for alleged “gross
under-performance,” which they said was against their (lawmakers’)
interest.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Marcel Ekwezuo, told
our correspondent that the legislators took the action because they
believed their interest and that of the suspended Clerk were
conflicting.

“The Clerk of the House, Chris Duru, was, at the plenary on
Thursday, suspended by the lawmakers.

“The suspension was hinged on gross under-performance, which was
viewed to be against the interest of the House.

“The motion was moved by the Majority Leader of the House,
Lugard Osuji, and supported by 21 other lawmakers,” the CPS
said.

On the allegation that the Clerk was suspended because he was
believed to be the right hand man of the Speaker who they alleged
was protecting the interest of the governor in the ongoing impasse,
Ekwezuo simply retorted, “Not to my knowledge.”

Meanwhile, some of the lawmakers who spoke to our correspondent
on strict condition of anonymity said the suspended Clerk “was
growing wings.”

One of the lawmakers said, “The Clerk was growing wings. He sees
himself as a more important person than the lawmakers.

“He opposes our instructions and thinks that he is
untouchable.

“Chris Duru thought that because he was the liaison officer of
the governor in the House and because of his closeness to the
Speaker, he could work against the interest of the lawmakers and
get away with it.”

Another lawmaker said that with the suspension of the Clerk, the
lawmakers could now “move against the Speaker and the
governor.”