Female lawmaker suspended after getting drunk in public

The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has suspended one of its members, Lilian Igwe, for allegedly getting drunk and acting inappropriately. Moving the motion, on Tuesday, to suspend Igwe (PDP, Ivo), the member representing Afikpo South East, Blasé Orji, alleged that she was seen on several occasions drinking herself into a state of stupor and vomiting on herself.

“The House has been brought to ridicule by the member representing Ivo State Constituency, Lilian Igwe," he said. "She does not only engage in excessive alcoholic drinking, she also boards commercial tricycles, popularly called KEKE NAPEP, to the House, thereby not carrying herself as an honourable member. Mr Speaker, based on this therefore, I move a motion that Hon Lilian Igwe be suspended from the House."

The motion was seconded by Christian Ursulor, (PDP, Ezza South). And when the House Speaker, Chukwuma Nwazunku, put it to question, members unanimously adopted it.

Reacting to the development, Igwe, a lawyer, who was absent from the plenary, debunked the allegations. "Only the members’ imaginations played out the petty behaviour they accused me of," she said.