The Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere, has come hard on his principal over the scandalous description of Governor Rochas Okorocha of his aides as incompetent during an interview on BBC Igbo service.
Madumere who has been having a running battle with Okorocha over succession took seriously Okorocha’s comment and responded that his boss has neither a pedigree worthy of emulation or a family background to envy.
Okorocha had during the interview claimed that one of the reasons he chose his son-in-law over others was based on competence.
But Prince Madumere said that Governor Okorocha could not have been where he is today, without his tutelage and grooming.
Prince Madumere made the clarification while fielding questions from newsmen over Governor Okorocha’s verbal attack on him.
Prince Madumere explained that without him there could not have been today’s Rochas Okorocha and that he could not have become even a Governor.
The Deputy Governor further chided Governor Okorocha for blackmailing him and other members of cabinet as incompetent and talking them down, querying the yardstick for denying those that made him succeed.
He wondered why Governor Okorocha could have the temerity to insult him, saying he is incompetent when he was the one that developed him from his crude nature to what he is today. He also revealed that he has refused to join issues with Okorocha for obvious reasons in order not to destroy what God has used him to do.
Prince Madumere said: “I have tried hard not to join issues with Governor Rochas. Those individuals he mentioned in his interview are all here. You have the immediate past SGI and former Accountant General, Sir George Eche, former Chief of Staff and former SGI, Sir Jude Ejiogu, former Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly and present Distinguished Senator, Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu and of course myself, Prince Eze Madumere, former Chief of Staff and the Deputy Governor of Imo State at present.
“If Madumere is not competent enough for all these years and that has been a hunch behind Rochas’ back. Without me, Rochas Okorocha would not have been where he is today and as a Governor. That alone speaks louder than even my pedigree. If we lay out our backgrounds in all ramifications, including our family background, I came from a better respected home than Rochas.
“Rochas has no home. All I can tell you is that I am more qualified and have better pedigree to govern Imo State than Rochas Okorocha; and I will do better as a Governor than what Rochas Okorocha has done. As a Deputy Governor, I rightly chose to take the side of the people than the side of the family of Rochas Okorocha.”
He vowed never to change his nature because of one ill-fated human development project but would continue to work with good natured Imolites to continue to contribute to the development of the State and take it to its .