*Directs Chief Judge to raise seven man-panel
By Collins Ughalaa
The members of the Imo State House of Assembly have intensified the move to impeach Deputy Governor Eze Madumere.
Thirteen members of the House had on Tuesday petitioned the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon Acho Ihim, alleging among other things that he was convicted and imprisoned in the USA over theft and that he hid it.
The House has also in furtherance to their move directed the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Paschal Nnadi, to set up a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct and imprisonment in the USA levelled against the Deputy Governor, saying that the Deputy Governor has a case to answer because there is a prima facie case against him as established by the House.
The Speaker of the House, Acho Ihim, had during plenary on Wednesday announced the House’s resolution to direct the Chief Judge of the state to set up a seven-man panel to probe Madumere, while the 19 members who attended the plenary unanimously adopted the recommendations of the House ad-hoc committee, chaired by Mr Kennedy Ibe (Obowo State Constituency), which was set up to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against Madumere earlier brought by 13 members of the House.
“With the adoption of the ad-hoc committee’s report by the committee of the whole which has stated that the Deputy Governor has a prima facie case to answer and should, therefore, be investigated on two of the allegations bordering on his absence from his office for 90 days without reasons and his refusal to attend both the state Executive Council meetings and the state security meetings.
“The House also directed that the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Pascal Nnadi, should set up a seven -man panel of people with impeccable character and integrity to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere.”
However, there seems to be a conspiracy of silence on the natter by the elites, while the masses are divided on the issue.
While some people expressed worry that this would be the second time Okorocha’s Deputy was impeached, others said he deserved it, adding that he benefited from the impeachment of his predecessor, Sir Jude Agbaso, from the sane Owerri Zone.
Displeased with the impeachment move, supporters of the Deputy Governor from his Mbaitoli LGA stormed the House of Assembly to protest the impeachment move, lamenting that the Governor instigated it.
The protesters said the Deputy Governor was being persecuted because of his opposition to the Governor’s plan to install his son in-law as his successor, stressing that the allegations against Madumere were cooked up.
Madumere’s constituents called on the lawmakers to reverse their decision to impeach the Deputy Governor so that peace could reign.
However, the pro-Madumere protesters were not allowed to stay as armed mobile policemen, who later barricaded the entrance to the state House of Assembly complex, quickly dispersed them.
Meanwhile, the House has adjourned its sitting to Tuesday, July 17.
