Politics-EBONYI SPEAKER IMPEACHED AT 6.30A.M , ELECTS FIRST FEMALE SPEAKER

The Ebonyi State Speaker, Honourable Chukwuma Nwazunku, was on Monday, impeached by 18 out of the 24 lawmakers at 6.30 a.m.

A new Speaker, Honourable Helen Nwaobasi, emerged as the new female speaker in the state.

Shortly after the impeachment of Honourable Nwazunku, the 18 lawmakers, who perfected the impeachment, besieged the Government House where the then  speaker was billed to participate in a state function, and insisted the new speaker, Honourable Nwaobasi should occupy her position as the new speaker of the assembly.

Their request was rebuffed by security agents who ensured that every lawmaker vacated their seats to ensure that law and order prevailed. Though, there was order and tranquillity in the assembly complex with the presence of heavily-armed policemen, the premises of the assembly was sealed off by a combined team of law enforcement agencies.

However, the impeached speaker and his loyalists were not allowed entrance into the complex.

Reacting to the impeachment, Honourable Nwazunku described the exercise as illegal and unconstitutional since the assembly was on recess.

Nwazunku noted that he still remained 'the authentic speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly.'

He opined that, 'their journey there is illegal, for me,  I am not bothered. I still have the majority of the assembly. There is  no impeachment. I have the mace and I have ordered security men to ward off those 'criminals' who call themselves honourable members,' he said.

It will be recalled that the Ebonyi State House of Assembly has, since the beginning of the year, been engulfed in crisis, resulting in the deputy speaker and two other lawmakers  suspended indefinitely. ** Additional report culled from Tribune**