Maduemere and his estranged boss, Governor Rochas Okorocha
The Imo State House of Assembly has officially served impeachment notice on the deputy governor of the state, Eze Madumere.
But Madumere is already in court to fault the manner of the impeachment service which he said has not followed the constitutionally laid rules.
In a suit he instituted at the Owerri High Court listing the Chief Judge of the state, Speaker of the House of Assembly and the House of Assembly as defendants, Madumere through his lawyers, Njemanze & Njemanze is asking the court to explain the mode of service among other alleged infractions perpetrated by the second and third defendants.
This is even as hundreds of the deputy governor’s supporters took to the major roads in the state capital on Tuesday to protest the impeachment proceedings.
The impeachment notice, which was served on the deputy governor through a substituted means (newspaper publications) on Tuesday in Owerri was signed by the Speaker, Acho Ihim; and and 13 other lawmakers.
When our correspondent visited the office of the deputy governor on Tuesday afternoon, the notice of “gross misconduct” was pasted at the entrance to his office.
Other lawmakers who signed the impeachment notice are: Ugonna Ozuruigbo (Nwangele); Chinedu Offor (Onuimo); Ikechukwu Amuka (Ideato South ); Lawrence Duruji (Ehime Mbano); Uche Ejiogu (Ihittte Uboma); Henry Ezediaro (Oguta); Maxwell Odunze(Orlu) and Lloyd Chukwuemeka (Owerri North).
Others are: Chika Madumere (Nkwerre); Uju Onwudiwe (Njaba); Nogozi Obiefule (Isu); Victor Onyewuchi (Owerri West); and Arthur Egwim (Ideato North).
The impeachment notice was titled, “Notice of gross misconduct,” and it outlined the alleged misconduct and addressed to Madumere.
The notice of service, the Speaker said, was in pursuant of Section 188(2)(b) of the 1999 constitution.
It reads in part: “Take notice that pursuant to Section 188(2)(b) of the 1999 constitution, I Right Honourable Acho Ihim, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Imo State of Nigeria, do hereby serve upon you Prince Eze Madumere, Deputy Governor, Imo State of Nigeria, the notice of misconduct, duly issued under the hand of not less than one-third of the members of the Imo State House of Assembly.”
However, a group under the aegis of Coalition for Civil Society Good Governance (CCSGG), has called on the number one Judicial Officer of the State, Justice Paschal Nnadi to show courage on the raging controversial impeachment saga targeted at the Deputy Governor of the State as being planned by Acho Ihim-led Imo State House of Assembly.
The group through its Coordinator, Comrade Uche Mgbemere made the call while briefing the newsmen on the raging political misgivings between Governor Rochas Okorocha and his Deputy, Madumere, which has culminated in the planned impeachment plot going on in the legislative arm of the government.
Mgbemere insists that though the House of Assembly has claimed that the process passed through due diligence “but we are aware that caution could be thrown to the wind because of the divergent political interests that may be personal or public.”
He claimed that their investigation proved that one of the allegations put forward was based on hearsay without a proof.
He suggested that allegations leveled against the Deputy Governor must not be taken hook, line and sinker, but must be subjected to proper scrutiny, examining all administrative procedures. “This is with a view to ensuring that the innocent will not be unjustly punished.”
He however hammered on the determinant role of rule of law in any democracy.
He said that if the Deputy Governor has secured a court injunction stepping aside the ongoing impeachment procedure, which is at the level of setting up a panel of inquiry to investigate the allegations from the legislature, the judiciary led by the Chief Judge must ensure that the order of the court must be obeyed.
He added that if the Deputy Governor has not been mandatorily served personally as required by law based on the spirit of 1999 Constitution (as amended), the number two citizen must be so served.
“It does not matter who it is served, if the person in question is not the Deputy Governor, it should be voided.”
He explained that the Constitution taking cognisance of the fact that the issue of removing Governor or Deputy Governor from office is a very serious one and thereby will require the Chief executive so affected to answer for himself. “This is the reason the Constitution also insisted he must also personally answer himself so as to avoid the conundrum of misrepresentation and presentation of facts.”
In his advice, he said: “Know that this must be a challenging time for any Justice of Law when issues on the front burner are laced with barrage of political maneuvering with an established case of soiled relationship between the number one and two citizens of a State.
“For us in the Civil Society, ours is the role of being a watchdog to the arms of government to ensure that tenets of democracy are upheld and to ensure that innocent people do not suffer. That is the reason we are concerned over what is going on in the State.
“For the Chief Judge, he must be blind at this time to ensure impartiality. We know that politicians, especially those who feel they have the purse of the State will be trying hard to bribe their way through various go-between to influence the Chief Law Officers and the family members, we advice that the courage of a Judge must not be rubbished for money.
“We encourage the Chief Judge of Imo State to be courageous to call black black and white white and for any reason there is a court order stopping the impeachment proceeding, it should be obeyed until it is vacated as required by law.”
Meanwhile, reprieve was said to have come the way of Madumere when he secured an injunction stopping the ongoing impeachment proceeding against him.
The rift between the Deputy Governor and his age long friend is reported to be connected with his refusal to support Governor’s son-in-law, Uche Nwosu who is of Orlu zone whereas Madumere is of the view that it is the turn of his people of Owerri zone to occupy the governorship seat of the State.