REVEALED: Reason for Nwebonyi's summon by Ebonyi Assembly

Speaker Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru (Left) and Commissioner Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi (Right).

Time to let the cat out of the bag, the reason for Barr Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi, the Commissioner for Capital City Development in Ebonyi State by the members of the State House of Assembly, Chidi Iziogo writes.

On June 2nd, 2021, the town planning department of the Ministry of Capital City Development, Ebonyi State issued a contravention notice to the speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, not as a speaker, but as an individual, over his building under construction at Plot 24, Zone 6, Centenary City, Abakaliki. The contravention notice was issued as a result of his failure to respond to the Ministry's repeated request for him to go through the normal process of building approval, which he blatantly turned down. It could be recalled that other house members and other prominent government functionaries complied with the approval process. Even the state governor went through the due process and paid the relevant fees. That contravention notice may have angered the speaker as he defiantly ignored the ministry's demand to pay the necessary fees as required by the law, which invariably was made by the same House he superintends over. The unspoken animosity culminated in the speaker, along with his thuggish aides attacking the ministry's task force on the 15th of June 2021. It is reported that the task force team had gone to the speaker's site to enforce the demand for payment earlier given to him. The speaker was called and he stormed the arena with thuggish aides and police details, damaged the ministry's operational vehicle and gave the task force members beating of their lives.

Now, the big question, does the house of assembly make laws for the ordinary people? Imagine a speaker who makes laws and turns back to attack the law enforcement agents who are implementing the laws. Is that arrogance or madness? What is most disheartening is that the very speaker led the attack himself. This man should be reminded of the limits of a member of the house of Assembly. In fact, he ought to resign as the speaker of the Honourable House. Otherwise, the revered members should impeach him to demonstrate high ethical tenets which they embody. His attention should be drawn to the fact that he has no immunity in the constitution and he can face prosecution for contravention of the law, even if it is the one made by his House of Assembly. The gullible public should not be deceived. 

Obviously, with the summon issued Barr. Onyekachi Nwebonyi, Commissioner for Capital City Development, Mr. Speaker is trying to divert attention from the attack on government officials who were discharging their lawful duty. It is trite that the House summons him first for the dishonorable act because he who goes to equity for justice goes with clean hands. 

His minions should stop circulating accident vehicles and vehicles they damaged during the 2019 electioneering to whip up sentiments from the gullible public against Barr. Nwebonyi. 

The public has not forgotten the wanton destruction of lives and property of opposition party members and perceived opponents, orchestrated by brothers against their brothers during and prior to the 2019 general election in Izzi West State Constituency in Izzi LGA. There is no gainsaying the fact that houses, vehicles, and yarm barns of perceived opponents were destroyed, many of them burnt down by thugs in 2019. Lives were lost, a clear example being the brutal murder of one alias Okirika by a thug at Nwofe Primary School, the corpse of which is still in the mortuary. 

Justice shall certainly prevail eventually.

Chidi Iziogo is a Media Aide to the Honourable Commissioner for Capital City Development in Ebonyi State.