Hon. Uche Ugwu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) representing Udi North state Constituency on Tuesday emerged Speaker of the 8th Enugu State House of Assembly.
The new Speaker was the Deputy Speaker during the 7th Assembly. Ugwu was unanimously elected
Hon. Ezenta Ezeani of Igbo-Etiti State Constituency, who is also from PDP, was elected the deputy speaker.
Though PDP is minority,with 10 members and Labour Party 14 members, their emergency was as a result of a binding rule, that ranking members will be elected for such positions. While Labour Party members are first timers, PDP had four old members in the 8th Assembly
Clerk of the House, Dr. Emmanuel Udaya who presided over the inauguration, cited the standing House rule which stipulated that ranking members should get such exalted offices.
He said “Any member nominated as speaker or deputy shall be a ranking member who must have successfully completed a 4-year tenure in a house of assembly.”
Ugwu was nominated for the position by the member representing Nkanu West state constituency, Honorable Iloabuchi Aniagu.
In his acceptance speech, the newly elected Speaker thanked members for electing him, promising that his administration would be fair to all irrespective of party affiliation or leaning and promised to work harmoniously with the executive devoid of confrontation and acrimony.
“We are not oblivious of the diversity happening in the assembly. What is binding us together is greater than what is dividing us,” he said.
He stated that time would not permit them to elect the rest of the principal officers, announcing that they would do so in their next sitting.
The new speaker visited the State Governor,Dr Peter Mbah, in Government House,Enugu, shortly after his swearing -in