By Valentine Amanze
Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has lambasted those, whom he called rumour mongers, who alleged that there was a plan to impeach the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere.
While denying that there was no such plan, Okorocha disclosed that those behind the imagined impeachment plan were Obinna Mbata, the Commissioner for Finance; and Luggard Osuji, representing Owerri Municipal Constituency in the State House of Assembly.
The governor, in a statement by his media aide, Sam Onwuemeodo, pointed out that
a day before the non-existent impeachment plot, Obinna Mbata and Luggard Osuji had led the All Progressives Congress (APC) officials and leaders in Owerri Municipal Council to endorse Chief Uche Nwosu (the governor’s inlaw) for the 2019 governorship election in the state.
“That is the only reason two of them have now become the State House of Assembly of 27 members to impeach the deputy governor. “The truth of the matter is that those who cooked up the impeachment story with the hope that it would help them in their ambition are also the ones marketing it. Osuji is not even one of the Principal Officers of the House as I write and Mbata is not a member of the Assembly. How then would they impeach the deputy governor?”
the governor said.
Okorocha, however, boasted that no person could win election in Imo State without him.
His words: “Anybody who thinks that he can win the governorship election in the state in 2019 without his contribution should go and do what Rochas did in 2011 by taking the ticket of APGA and winning the election and in 2015 when he joined APC in a zone that was dominated by PDP and also won his election. That is the best action now.
“Any of the aspirants who thinks or feels he has the political capacity to win election in Imo without Rochas’ contribution should go for the ticket of one of such parties and win election and let us see.”
The governor also warned that he would not leave Imo State APC for anybody, stressing that when he was risking his second tenure and life to build the party most of them were either not there or were sitting on the fence.
Okorocha also defended the controversial Jacob Zuma’s statue in Owerri.
He said that the statue of the South African former president would remain despite criticisms.
Okorocha explained that the statue was erected when Zuma was a sitting president.
“We should also be keen in his life story. For instance, a man who didn’t receive any formal education but rose to play a major role in the freedom of his people and also became president of one of the leading African nations calls for sober reflection.
“He also resigned honourably. And after his coming to Imo where he spoke against the killings of Nigerians in South Africa, the situation came under control to a large extent. Zuma came to Imo to partner Rochas Foundation College for Africa. He didn’t come for politics. And even after his departure as President, he would still go ahead to make his contributions to the education of the less-privileged children in Africa.”
