administration is having with the members of the Imo State House of
Assembly is yielding dividends at the moment. Apart from settling
certain differences that elicited divergent views in the past, the
state legislature has concluded arrangements to approve fresh N1bn
loan to the state governor Tuesday next week when the House resumes
plenary.
It would be recalled that following election shift, the lawmakers
called off their break to return to the chamber for plenary where two
prominent actions were considered. There include submission of adhoc
committee report on creation of new autonomous committees and
confirmation of Transition Committee Chairmen for the 27 LGAs.
The lawmakers were at the verge of going ahead with the proposal for
the approval of the N1bn loan for Okorocha during this week's sitting
before power failure struck to cause darkness, no thanks to the ailing
generator in the Assembly complex that stopped power generation.
Trumpeta reports that the motion and relevant moves for the loan
waiver were underway before the power failure forcing the lawmakers to
adjourn sitting till Tuesday for consideration of the proposed N1bn.
It was learnt that for the state government to reach this bargain with
the lawmakers, knotty issues that caused friction between the
legislative and executive arms of government were deliberated. Further
revelation on what transpired indicated that Okorocha had to soften on
the issue that related to sacked transition committee chairmen which
the lawmakers decided before the Christmas break. Other matters the
Okorocha government bought into in the new deal was the creation of
new autonomous communities which it had through the secretary to the
Imo State Government, Prof Anthony Anwukah, described earlier as a
fraud.
The re-consideration of the new autonomous communities and sack of LGA
TC chairmen by the executive arm resulted to the state legislature
having a mention of how they will consider Okorocha's new appointees.
Further to the rapprochement, a new loan of N10b was also considered
for approval to the governor. It was in the spirit of these new
arrangements that Hon Simeon Iwunze-led committee on new autonomous
communties officially submitted its reports while the TC chairmen got
fresh backing from the House. The last lap of the deal is the N10bn
loan approval which was reportedly deferred because of the by power
outage.
The money, sources disclosed was designed to enable Okorocha perfectly
prosecute his second term bid as well as help fine-tune APC campaigns
in the state. As pay back for job "well done", the lawmakers are
accused of getting their own fair share of deal by pocketing N5m each.
This newspaper reliably learnt that majority of the lawmakers,
irrespective of party lining okayed the granting of loan which will
fetch them millions. This final "sharing" of money is considered as
parting gift for those who are not likely to return to the House.
Those who were said to have accepted the N10b loan deal, hook, line
and sinker are mainly lawmakers running for various categories of
election who need money to cater for electioneering demands.
Our source learnt that some cash-crunch lawmakers quickly jumped at
the deal and offered to be part of the process of allowing the state
governor have N10m through loans.
Trumpeta learnt that a powerful and ranking lawmaker is said to be the
anchorman of the state government in the deal. The involvement of the
lawmaker who failed primaries to pick his party's ticket for Reps
seat, according to Assembly sources, was meant to ensure the proposal
sails through without tackles from his camp believed to be power
brokers in the State Assembly.
Efforts to reach the House Committee Chairman on Information, Hon Acho
Ihim speak on the matter proved abortive as his phone was out of
reach, but a lawmaker who said that he is not authorized to speak
opined that Tuesday next week will determine the veracity or otherwise
of the story.
--Trumpeta
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