By Austin Ogwuda
…. Can Governor Sheriff Oborevwori save the Speaker, Emomotimi Guwor as plot thickens
…. accusation against him for not carrying his colleagues along, neglect of welfare rife
… Speaker’s Spokesman, Nkem Nwaeke keeps mum
SOME members of the Delta State House of Assembly are reportedly plotting to impeach the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, investigation has shown.
According to an Asaba-based fearless Journalist, Barry Agbanigbi, in a piece titled, ‘Rumblings In The Delta State Assembly’, he wrote that “This year’s celebration of the end of the Second Session of the 8th Delta State House of Assembly coincides with the rumbling in the State Legislature over its seeming neglect by the Speaker Hon. Emomotimi Guwor”.
Agbanigbi wrote further:
“While the State Lawmakers are groaning over their plight and blaming their leadership which they accused of paying more lip service to the issues of training and poor welfare, the entire workforce are also nursing grudges against their various Heads of Departments.
“One of the main grudges of the workers is that their welfare package is grossly inadequate. It was gathered that while the recent pay rise and welfare package may have been a blessing to them, they are angry that money meant for their welfare such as furniture allowance, housing allowance and others are seen only on paper.
They claimed that only a fraction of such allocation gets to them at the end of the day.
“Apart from the issues of allowance, the last promotion according to a source, has become a subject of debate among the workers. Also generating ripples among the staff is the shoddy manner promotion examinations are conducted.
An anonymous source confided that the examinations are usually marred by irregularities. All these factors have combined to precipitate the current feelings of frustration in the legislative arm.
“An inside source confirmed that as a way out of this political quagmire, the House is weighing two possible options.
“While some Members who are not comfortable with what they termed as arrogance and over-bearing influence of the Speaker on the legislative arm, have been meeting behind closed doors on how to suspend the Ijaw born from the House proceedings to wet the ground for his impeachment based on available evidence, others are calling for his outright impeachment but his strong loyalists particularly from Delta south senatorial district, promise to fight back, seeing the plot as vindictive and unconstitutional.
“It was learnt that the option to seek democratic process was agreed on by those calling for his head when several plots initiated to throw him out of office violently failed.
“He reportedly incurred the wrath of his co-members for being one of the arrow-heads of the recent defection of members from the former ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC) without their proper consultation”, Agbanigbi stated in the report.
When The Townhall officially contacted the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Speaker, Nkem Nwaeke over the barrage of accusations against the Speaker as contained in the said report authored by Barry Agbanigbi and the purported impeachment plot, he bluntly refused to comment as at the time of filing this report.
Political watchers are of the opinion that the impeachment plot might be a hacaulean task because of the Speaker’s 100% loyalty to the governor who in turn will definitely stand by him to shield him from the “bullets”.
The Townhall will keep you updated as the drama unfolds.
