The ripples caused by the decision of the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha to take a good number of Imolites to Turkey for what the government branded Trade Mission has affected the state legislature.
It would be recalled that Okorocha and 171 others comprising Commissioners, political appointees, CGC officials, keke operators and other categories of artisans left the state for Turkey at the weekend.
While mixed reactions have continued to trail the Turkey trip, it is having a devastating effect on the unity of purpose among members of the Imo State House of Assembly. Interestingly, of the 26 member house, only few believed to be loyal to the Speaker and sharing APC affinity made the trip. While it was difficult to find an APGA or PDP lawmaker in the Turkey party team, the Speaker led other legislatures romancing APC to the trip. Among those in the trip are the Deputy Speaker, majority leader, Honourables Mike Ndubuaku, Ugonna Ozuruigbo, and Stan Dara. It was learnt that other APC lawmakers who kept off from the trip had other demanding and private engagements unlike the APGA and PDP colleagues that were not considered.
As the Turkey crew took off, the PDP and APGA members were reported to be uncomfortable with the development and threatening to challenge House leadership they accused of demonstrating divide and rule tactics meant to cause mutual suspicion among members.
The complaints became rife at the weekend when the members gathered at a social function of one of them to review the trip. Trumpeta observed that while the Turkey visit did not get the approval of the state legislature to spend the state fund for such number of persons embarking on the weeklong trip, the lawmakers who raised eye brows over the Turkey trip questioned the rationale behind the selection especially the House Members.
“It is more of a political jamboree the APC using state fund who gave the approval for the trip and for what purpose?. How did the selection of persons arise?, one of the aggrieved member queried in the midst of the lawmakers present at an event.
One of the members accused the leadership of the House of not carrying all members along and allegedly adopting apartheid tactics to disintegrate the unity of the state legislature because of partisan proclivity.
The lawmakers however regretted that the House has gone on annual break and passed the 2014 Budget after months of refusal to treat the matter adding that a new friction would have been witnessed in the state over the sectional tendencies of the executive arm in connivance with House leadership.
Our Assembly reporter observed that the aggrieved lawmakers have been meeting on possible ways of informing the leadership and their APC colleagues of their displeasure over the sectional manner the trip was handled.
