Imo State House of Assembly on Wednesday adopted a motion to investigate financial activities of the Assembly under the impeached Speaker, Mr Chiji Collins (APC-Isiala Mbano).
The motion which was sponsored by Ekene Nnodumele (APC-Orsu) stated there should be a thorough investigation into the allegation of financial impropriety leveled against the former speaker.
Nnodumele noted that the former speaker did not pay Mrs Uju Onwudiwe (APC-Njaba), four months salaries and allowances which should have been paid after her reelection.
He added that the former speaker withheld the allowances following the cancellation of her first election without rendering proper account as to what the money was used for.
He called for an ad-hoc committee to be inaugurated to properly investigate the allegations levelled against Chiji.
Supporting the motion, Onwudiwe stated that taking proper action following the proposed investigation would serve as a deterrent against mismanagement of funds by public servants.
Also supporting the motion, Mr Arthur Egwim (APC Ideato North) said there should be a standard which every public servant should live up to, adding that Chiji’s actions were “unbelievable”.
Contributing, the Majority Leader, Uche Ogbuagu (APC Ikeduru) expressed disappointment over Chiji’s failure to refute the allegations since his impeachment.
Following votes in favour of the motion, the Speaker Paul Emeziem (APC-Onuimo) set up a seven man committee headed by Nnodumele to carry out the investigations.
Emeziem urged the committee to report back their findings to the Assembly in two weeks’ time.
Other members of the committee are; Eddy Obinna (APC-Aboh Mbaise), Emeka Nduka (APC -Ehime Mbano, Frank Ugboma (PDP -Oguta), Dominic Ezerioha (APC Oru-West), Johnson Duru (APC- Ideato South) and Uche Ogbuagu (APC-Ikeduru).
