AWKA — The Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uche Okafor today during plenary nipped in the bud, an attempt by the Majority Leader, Hon. Nnamdi Okafor, to take him off guard and trick him into reading a letter which the Majority Leader alleged is coming from the APGA caucus in the House.
The House commenced sitting as usual with an opening prayer, which was followed by votes and proceedings of the House as it is with the custom of the Assembly. The Majority Leader upon indication, was granted audience to speak by the Speaker, he rose up and after the routine introduction, immediately accused the Speaker of failing to have read a letter from the APGA caucus of the House even after several reminders.
The Speaker immediately addressed the issue stating that there was another letter indicating that APGA caucus of the House did not write any letter. The Speaker emphatically noted that he asked the Majority Leader if he consulted the Caucus before writing the letter, and he said yes.
Regrettably, according to the Speaker, the claim by the Majority Leader that the APGA caucus was consulted before the letter was written is false because, upon his investigation, it turned out that the Majority Leader did not consult with APGA caucus of the Assembly before writing the letter, which the Speaker insisted in any case which has now been overtaken by events and ruled that the case is rested.
Apparently, not happy with the development, Hon. Nnamdi Okafor stormed out of the plenary. After plenary, Hon. Nnamdi Okafor was still angry and shouting on top of his voice within the Assembly complex, while the meeting of the caucus was ongoing at the Speaker’s office which he called after the sitting.
An investigation by Ebuka Onyekwelu of The West African Pilot News revealed that the letter in question which Hon. Nnamdi Okafor alleged to have written on behalf of APGA caucus of the House, is about who replaces Hon. Lawrence Ezeudu as the Chief Whip of the House. Recall that Ezeudu in the last sitting day announced his resignation as the Chief Whip of the House.
The investigation further revealed that the Majority Leader is pushing someone to replace Hon. Ezeudu without carrying the APGA caucus along, only to try to arm-twist the Speaker at the plenary; discussions that are normally held behind closed doors or during an executive session before plenary.
It is not clear if the issue has been resolved, as members were still around the Assembly complex long after the close of business, while Hon. Nnamdi Okafor was still angry and could be heard from his office shouting.
Meanwhile, a motion of urgent importance was presented by Hon. John Nwokoye representing Awka North constituency in which he called on the Governor, Willie Obiano to direct the Commissioner for Works to move swiftly and address the growing gully on Achalla road which is the only passable assess road linking Awka North Local Government headquarters, with other towns in the Local Government.
The motion was heavily supported by Hon. Emeka Aforka, Hon. Tim Ifedioranma, Hon. Lawrence Ezeudu, Hon. Nonso Okafor, Hon. Ejike Okechukwu and Hon. Emma Nwafor, all of whom spoke passionately in support that the governor should respond without delay, to the emergency call by the member representing Awka North, citing that the Local Government is the food basket of the state but especially neglected, specifically in terms of road infrastructure.
He is a Technical Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano’s Special Adviser on Legislative Matters, whoonce was a Special Adviser to a former Deputy Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly. Ebuka is a second class upper division graduate of Political Science from University of Calabar, Calabar Nigeria and holds a Masters Degree in Political Science with specialization in Government and Development Studies, from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Nigeria
