The Imo State Chapter of Labour Party under the chairmanship of Callistus Ihejiagwa, has suspended 14 members of its State Working Committee and others following what the party described as gross indiscipline and indulging in act that is capable of disparaging the party.
Addressing journalists after its State Executive meeting in Owerri, Ihejiagwa said that the suspension of some of its State Exco members was a decision reached by the State leadership of the party as a way of ensuring discipline among members.
He stated that the party’s decision to suspend the members was based on their involvement in trying to create what he described as imaginary crisis with the intention of causing disunity among party members.
The party Chairman further accused the suspended members of going public to discuss internal affairs of the party without first exhausting the party’s constitution, an action he described as an act of insubordination and disrepute to the party’s existing principles.
Ihejiagwa said that in order to uphold fair and transparent approach, a five-member disciplinary committee headed by its first State Deputy Chairman, Queen Osuala, has been constituted to look into the allegations leveled against the suspended members.
The members who were suspended include the party’s State Secretary, Paulinus Udechukwu, the Orlu Zonal Chairman, Charles Uzomba, Okigwe Zonal Chairman, Sunday Ike, Owerri Zonal Chairman, Innocent Nwadavid.
Others are: the State Legal Adviser, Emeka Ihejirika, State Woman Leader, Princess Chinedu Oleka, the State Financial Secretary, Ikechukwu osuaku, the State Organizing Secretary, Joseph Mbama, among others.
The LP Chairman lamented that Imo citizens were suffering much under the leadership of Governor Hope Uzodinma, who he accused of governing the State from diaspora.
He urged the Governor to come back to the State so that he could feel and see the rate of hardship faced by the people.
On the issue concerning defections of some party’s elected members, he said that the party leadership at the National level was handling the matter, hinting that legal actions has been instituted against them.