The Anambra state House of Assembly was yesterday divided over an alleged breach of the constitution by governor Peter Obi over his presentation of two commissioner nominees to the legislature for confirmation. The commissioner nominees were Dr Lawrence Agbata Ikeakor from Idemili North local government and Mr Sebastine Udegbunam Okoye from Awka North local government area.
Trouble started when the member representing Ayamelum constituency, Mr Gabriel Onyeweife moved a motion urging the House to stand down the confirmation of the duo on grounds that his area had not benefited from the past and present governments in terms of appointments into the cabinet of any government.
He argued that the House would be breaching sections 92(2) and 14(4) if the duo were confirmed, saying that the people of his constituency had suffered bare faced marginalization by governments of the state and insisted that the only way to address the imbalance was for the governor to appoint commissioners from Ayamelum and Anambra East local governments. Onyeweife said that though decisions may have been made in the past by governments it was not a reason for the House to also close its eyes on the provisions of the constitution and do the wrong thing.
Some of the law makers who spoke to Daily Times said the breach of the constitution by the governor was an impeachable offence while a member of the committee that screened the commissioner nominees, Mr Chigbo Enwezor representing Onitsha north I constituency said it was not an impeachable offence because no offence had been committed.
According to him, the governor had in a letter to the House indicated that the marginalized areas particularly, Ayamelum local government would be represented in the next list of political appointees he would sen to them.
Speaker of the House, Mrs Chinwe Nwebili urged the governor to correct the imbalances in the next list of political nominees before the House goes on recess.
The member representing Anambra east constituency, Pharmacist Obinna Emenaka drew the attention of his colleagues to the provisions of the constitution, warning that the neglect of that could send wrong signals the public. Other members who spoke in the same vein included Mr Pauly Onyeka, Mrs Vivian Okadigbo and Val Anyika.
