RAYMOND OZOJI reports
Maduaburochukwu Bernard Udemezue, lawmaker representing the highly marginalised people of Ayamelum state constituency as he would always say, has accused the 8th legislature of deliberately denying him his constitutional rights to participate in the budget bilateral talks with Ministries, Departments, Parastatals and Agencies of the state government scheduled to begin 1st December this year.
Udemezue whose earlier 3 months suspension ended recently, had come to the House of Assembly Tuesday last week to resume his normal legislative duties and to also witness the 2026 budget presentation by the governor, was forced out of the state assembly complex by heavily armed security men against his fundamental human rights.
He told this journalist that after his forceful eviction from the state assembly complex, the next thing he heard was that his suspension has been extended for another 3 months.
Although he said he had the premonitions that such would happen but maintained that the extension of his suspension periods were arbitrary and unconstitutional because he was not invited for fair-hearing instead the House took a unilateral decision to extend his stay-at-home so as to prevent him from being part of the budget defence exercise which will commence this week.
Udemezue further disclosed that part of the reasons they extended his suspension periods was because they don't want him to ask vital questions about the budget as well as other matters of urgent public importance especially as it concerns his constituency, Ayamelum.
Though he said he has profound respect for the leadership of the House of Assembly and has also tendered series of apologies to the legislature but the reason for the extension of his suspension periods was what he can not fathom.
The lawmaker explained that with the repeated apologies he tendered, it is expected that there should be a reconsideration of the resolution but the reverse is the case, adding that in the present circumstance, Ayamelum is left with no representation in the House of Assembly.
He said he complained earlier that they were excluded in the scheme of things and the situation has been made worst because he is not allowed to represent the people who duly elected him into office. That he doesn't want to contest if the House of Assembly has right to suspend an elected House member especially for no just cause but insisted that he hopes that the peace approach adopted would be used to rescue the situation.
The lawmaker equally reminded all and sundry that opposition is still allowed and it is a constitutional provision. He said everybody must not support every government but because of power, according to him, some offices have forgotten that people have right to oppose.
He said they believe you are supposed to be with them or be silent which he said is not healthy nor ideal for a democracy, adding that the Constitution doesn't allow anyone to cow or compel anybody to say or not to say anything, describing the situation as rather unfortunate.
But reacting to the claims by Bernard Udemezue, the Chairman House of Assembly Committee on Media and Publicity and member representing Anaocha 2 state constituency Hon. Ejike Okechukwu, told this journalist exclusively that the suspended lawmaker has not met the conditions given to him to apologize to his colleagues he lampooned on his social media handles.
Okechukwu said the House of Assembly took a decision that Bernard Udemezue must make a video of himself apologizing to his colleagues; same way he made videos of himself insulting them on his social media handles for the world to see; that he even called him " Short Devil" from Anaocha in one of his videos.
On the alleged denial of his right of participation in the MDAs budget defence slated for this week, Okechukwu said such claims were blatant lies because the House didn't do such.
He said Udemezue has participated in two budget defence without any meaningful impacts and that his presence is not even felt in the 8th assembly.
He however pointed out that the House of Assembly has insisted that Bernard Udemezue must apologize to his colleagues in accordance with the conditions given to him before the House can reverse her decision.
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