The Anambra State House of Assembly has released a statement regarding Hon. Bernard Udemezue, a lawmaker representing Ayamelum State Constituency, who had made social media posts revealing constituency project funds and overhead allowances received by lawmakers.
The Assembly alleged that Udemezue’s claims of being threatened with suspension were unfounded and clarified that he is facing a committee investigation for various misconducts.
According to the Assembly, Udemezue has a history of recurrent misconducts.
The Assembly further stated that Udemezue has been absent from plenary sessions 43 times out of 57 sittings, excluding committee meetings where his absence was also noted.
They emphasized that representation requires presence and that Udemezue’s constituents should hold him accountable for his negligence of duty.
The Assembly also addressed petitions against Ibeto, stating that they had received petitions from Ayamelum youths and community leaders concerning environmental degradation and neglect of corporate social responsibilities.
The petitions were referred to the Committee on Public Petitions, which summoned relevant companies and directed them to submit supporting documents.
However, Udemezue was absent on both occasions the committee sat to deliberate on these petitions.
Furthermore, the Assembly mentioned that Udemezue has pending matters before the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, including petitions alleging assault, threat to life, intimidation, and misconduct.
They also stated that Udemezue was removed as Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security due to reports of misuse of office and publicly insulting colleagues.
The Assembly concluded that they remain committed to transparency, accountability, and effective representation, and that Udemezue has been given ample space to represent his constituency.
However, they emphasized that representation requires consistency, presence, and decorum, and that they will defend the institution against falsehoods and narratives that seek to undermine its credibility.
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