Former Anambra Deputy Speaker, Harford Oseke, slumps, dies at 64
By Emma Ogbuehi
The former Deputy Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Harford Oseke, is dead.
He was 64 years old.
Oseke was said to have died on Monday morning after collapsing during his routine exercise at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, the state capital.
Following his collapse, sympathisers rushed him to the hospital where the doctors pronounced him dead.
Thereafter his remains were deposited at the Apex Medical Centre in Awka.
The former lawmaker who was born in August 1960 hailed from Umuawulu in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State. He studied law and recently completed his Ph.D. in Public Administration.
Apart from his academic pursuits, Oseke was actively engaged in the freight forwarding industry in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and was also involved in the importation of fishing feeds into the country.
Oseke was a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
He contested a House of Assembly election during the tenure of Peter Obi and won.
He subsequently became the Majority Leader and later served as the Deputy Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly.
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In a bid to represent Awka North and South Local Government Areas in the House of Representatives, Oseke contested an election but was defeated by the late Hon. Anayo Nnebe.
A knight of St Christopher, Harford Oseke is survived by his wife and children.
As Deputy Speaker, Harford Oseke, was at the centre of the confusion at the Anambra State House of Assembly when he led 18 members to impeach the then Speaker, Rita Maduagwu, on November 13, 2018.
The members said Mrs. Maduagwu was impeached on grounds of incompetence, misappropriation of fund, inefficiency, financial complicity and gross abuse of office, and swiftly, elected the member representing Aguata II Constituency, Ikem Uzozie as the new speaker.
But, after about two hours, Mrs. Maduagwu rallied round some government officials, including the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwudebele, regained access to the chamber and held a session with only 10 members.
Mrs. Maduagwu had, shortly before the sitting, told newsmen that her purported impeachment was illegal and described those who carried out the impeachment as rascals.
“Nobody can impeach me because I have not committed any offence. They don’t have any power known to any law to impeach me. They need two-thirds of our members to impeach me or the governor. So, I’m still the Speaker,” she reiterated.
Earlier, in the first sitting by the 18 members, Uzozie had moved a motion for her impeachment. It was seconded by Onyebuchi Offor.
The members, before the impeachment, allegedly suspended three members on allegation of insubordination and ploy to thwart the wheel of progress in the Assembly.
During the second sitting presided over by Mrs. Maduagwu, members, including the Deputy Majority Leader, Pascal Agbodike and Chuka Ezenwune of Idemili South constituency, thanked God for bringing them back to the chamber, after a break and called on Governor Willie Obiano to look into the deplorable condition of some roads in the state.
