Okorocha urges deputy governor to face Assembly’s charges against him

Plot to remove Madumere dangerous for democracy, says Ihedioha
Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday appealed to the Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere, to face the charges and stop accusing him of spearheading plans to remove him through the House of Assembly.

The House had accused the Deputy Governor of gross misconduct, conviction for theft in the United State (U.S.), dereliction of duty and other charges, leading to a recommendation to the state Chief Judge, Paschal Nnadi, to set-up a committee to investigate him (Madumere).In a statement yesterday by Okorocha’s Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, the governor regretted that his deputy was casting aspersions on him for his ordeals with some members of the Assembly.

Okorocha added that Madumere’s claims and talk about imaginary inconveniences as part of his experiences, was the height of pettiness.“It is the height of pettiness for Madumere to talk about imaginary inconveniences he claimed he experienced during the outings of his benefactor, but carefully skipped mentioning the favours, benefits and patronages he had enjoyed all these years,” the statement reads.

It also pointed out that Madumere had long returned to Nigeria from the United States before they met, adding: “He should be Christian enough to state that he has remained under Okorocha’s tutelage and employment.”

Meanwhile, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, has described move by the House of Assembly to remove Madumere as a potent danger to democracy.
Ihedioha, a governorship aspirant under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state made the assertion in a statement by his media aide, Chibuike Onyeukwu, insisting that the move ostensibly on Okorocha’s orders, would deal a deadly blow to democracy in the state and the country.

His words: “The Deputy Governor’s obvious offence is his legitimate aspiration to run for the highest political office in the state, contrary to Okorocha’s preference for his in-law, Uche Nwosu.“This unfortunate development is particularly alarming and indeed worrisome to all advocates and defenders of democracy and rule of law in Imo and the nation at large.”

He urged Okorocha to stop what he described as open display of gross abuse of power and treatment of Imo people as conquered people who must be humiliated and subjugated. “The move, in all its intents and purposes is irresponsible, undemocratic, illegitimate, irrational, egocentric and therefore, should be reconsidered forthwith in the best interest of the state and sustenance of democracy,” he stated.Ihedioha, therefore, advised Okorocha to pay more attention to good governance to save the state from imminent collapse.