Imo State Assembly on Wednesday, began an eight week long annual recess after approving a motion barring lawmakers from presenting petitions without first going through the Committee on Business and Rules.

The Deputy Speaker, Amara Iwuanyanwu, who sponsored the motion lobbied her colleagues to ensure the motion passed.

With its passage, the privilege accorded lawmakers to present motions during plenary without passing through the Committee on Rules and Business was effectively withdrawn.

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Under the new arrangement, every lawmaker is required to first submit his petition to the Committee on Business and Rules for at least two days to plenary for vetting.

The petition, if approved by the committee, would be enlisted in the order paper for the next plenary session and the lawmaker would then be allowed to present it during the plenary.

The Speaker, Paul Emeziem, didn’t also address the issues raised by the six suspended lawmakers at the assembly.

However, the State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ogubundu Nwadike, said the amendment of the house rule was part of desperate measures by the All Progressives Congress, to gag free speech. He called on lovers of democracy to resist the move.