From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

The Imo State House of Assembly was almost converted to a boxing ring yesterday over the suspension of 6 lawmakers of the house by the Speaker of the State assembly, Paul Emeziem over their alleged unpaliamentary conduct.

A source from the State assembly who witnessed the incident disclosed that trouble started immediately the Speaker announced the suspension of the 6 members and those present at the seating immediately objected the suspension.

This according to the source led to a rowdy session which prompted the lawmakers to get up from their seats and ,forming various cliques,those in support of the Speaker and those in support of the suspended members throw banters at each other.

Sensing danger,the Speaker and his deputy,China Iwuanyanwu were said to have hurriedly left the red chamber with their orderly shooting sporadically to guard them into their vehicles.

But the commotion inside the house according to the source had already attracted some thugs alleged to be hired by some of the lawmakers who invaded the assembly complex and shooting sporadically.

One of the suspended member, Honourable Anyadike Nwosu from Ezinihite State constituency who spoke to our correspondent said that he and the rest of the suspended members will never accept the suspension,claiming that it was unjustly done.

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Moreover, the indefinite suspension pronounced by the Speaker according to Nwosu is illegal,asserting that the house do not have the right to suspend any member beyond two weeks.

Nwosu has also faulted most of the alleged informal ways the Speaker deals with matters of the assembly,he accused him of not properly holding executive sessions but only act on deliberations from few cliques in the house.

He said “We are in a House of rumble not house of assembly, its like that because if they consider you to be a vocal point who tells the leadership what they need to hear ,who demands for their constituency projects ,who demands 100% financial autonomy in Imo State,and now they said what I have done is unpaliamentary conduct,that was the sin I committed.

“For daring to ask the governor to come and fix the road in Ezinihite Mbaise Local Government, they said they they are suspending us indefinitely,they can not do that,the case of Omo Agege and Saraki is clear,the highest you can suspend a house member is two weeks.

On happenings in the house before the fracas,Nwosu said ” we don’t have Imo assembly ,what we have is a military barracks ,we don’t seat in executive sessions ,we don’t agree or discuss anything,the deputy Speaker and the Speaker will come from anywhere ,they will decide in their caucus ,neglecting the minority voice ,there’s no consultation ,whatever they discuss,they implement.” Nwosu claimed.

Other members suspended are :Uche Ogbuagu representing Ikeduru, Dominic Ezerioha ,Oru West, Philip Ejiogu , Owerri North ,Micheal Onyemaechi, Ihitte Uboma and Kennedy Ibe, representing Obowo .

Also, the member representing Nkwerre State constituency , Obinna Okwara has been made the Chief Whip replacing Arthur Egwim. Meanwhile, the Speaker has also announced the dissolution of all standing committees of the house.