The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has commenced probe of the finances of the state government Chief Martin Elechi, just as it declared the seats of four members of the house vacant.

Nwanchor
The plenary which was rumoured to have been convened to effect an impeachment plot against the state Governor, Chief Martin Elechi, however settled for the probe of the financial transactions of the principal officers of the local government areas in the state.

Moving a motion, the member of the house  representing Ohaukwu North constituency, Frank Onwe, prayed that all the principal officers including Heads of Personnel Management and Treasurers should appear before the house in its next plenary to brief the house on the financial transactions in the local government system or they would be compelled to issue warrant of arrest on them.

Supporting the motion, Obasi Odefa (Onicha East) alleged that there was a monumental financial rot in the local government system in the state, as public funds were being diverted to personal account for political reasons.

He prayed that the state/local government joint account and Stabilisation Account in the state should be investigated.

Odefa noted that a huge amount of tax payers’ money in the state was being diverted to a personal account, ostensibly for political reasons and it was time for the Accountant General of the state, Auditor General, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Celestine Nwali; Commissioner for Finance, Tim Odaah, to brief the house on the financial transactions of the state in their next plenary or face arrest.

The Speaker, Chuwkuma Nwazuku, ruled that the affected members would be communicated on the decision of the house for which the house might be compelled to issue warrants of arrest if they failed to honour the invitation.

The 24-member assembly also in declaring the seats of the four lawmakers vacant said the action had become necessary following their defection to opposition Labour Party in the state.

The affected lawmakers are Eni Uduma Chima (Afikpo South West), Helen Nwobashi (Abakaliki South), Sam Nwali (Ikwo North) and Mabel Aleke (Ohaukwu South).

The Speaker of the House said the declaration of their seats vacant took effect from February 11 2015.

Nwazuku contended that the house has the constitutional right to declare their seats vacant for contravening the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, urging the Commissioner of Police, Director of State Security Service, Independent National Electoral Commission and the general public to take note.