Labour Party lawmakers from Anambra North Senatorial District at the National Assembly, on Thursday, condemned the recent suspension of the member representing Ayamelum constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Abuchi Udemezue.
Anambra North Labour Party National Assembly caucus, in its reaction to the development, said in a statement jointly signed by Senator Tony Nwoye, Afam Ogene, Idu Emeka, and Peter Aniekwe, that the lawmaker’s suspension was hasty and high-handed.
According to the lawmakers, Udemezue raised concerns over the egregious infrastructure decay in his gas-producing locality of Ayamelum, holding both the companies and the state government accountable.
They said rather than address the issues raised, Udemezue was hastily suspended, reportedly/purportedly on the prompting of the state governor.
The statement read, “Our democracy thrives on robust debate, constructive criticism and diversity of opinions. Silencing opposition voices through hasty suspension sets a dangerous precedent that should concern every Nigerian, regardless of Party affiliation. We believed that Abuchi Udemezue was being gagged because he spoke against the illegal utilisation of local government funds belonging to his Ayamelum LGA.
“His voice lends credence to our cries and agitation in recent times for the enforcement of the Supreme Court judgment on financial autonomy for the LGAs, which requires State Governments to allow Local Governments to manage their funds accruing from the Federation account. While we do not condone the use of unparliamentary language by Abuchi Udemezue or anyone else, we believe that the state government’s decision to influence the reconvening of the House of Assembly during its yearly vacation, so as to hastily suspend him, was overly hasty and disregarded the fundamental principle of fair hearing.
“The suspension was carried out without adequate notice, undermining the element of natural justice embodied in the maxim ‘audi alteram partem’ – hear the other side. We expect the APGA-led Government under Prof. Chukwuma Soludo to address the pressing issues of marginalisation and infrastructure decay in Ayamelum LGA, which Hon. Udemezue highlighted, irrespective of the unparliamentary and uncouth language(s) used in his speeches and interviews.
“Depriving the people of Ayamelum Local Government Area of representation in the State Assembly due to this controversial suspension is unfair and undemocratic. We humbly urge the leadership of the Anambra State House of Assembly to revisit the suspension and ensure Hon. Abuchi Udemezue is accorded a fair hearing. If found guilty, any disciplinary action should be taken in a transparent and lawful manner.
“We must work together to protect the integrity of our democratic institutions. In the same spirit, we urge the Assembly and the State Government to address the very weighty allegations made by Hon. Udemezue, so that they are not swept under the carpet.”
Recall that Udemezue was suspended for three months by the Assembly over his recent critical remarks on social media, claiming that his constituency was being marginalised in terms of constituency allowance.
He demanded that his constituents, who have contributed significantly to the state’s revenue, deserve better infrastructure and tangible dividends of democracy because of the abundant wealth generated from their land.
