The leadership of the Imo State House of Assembly has directed the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Pascal Nnadi, to set up a seven-man panel to investigate allegation of gross misconduct against the state’s Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, saying there is prime facie case against him.
This was just as the supporters of the embattled deputy governor, from his Mbaitoli state constituency, protested what they described as a plot instigated by Governor Rochas Okorocha to impeach the deputy governor, because of his opposition to the foisting of his son-in-law on the state as his successor. They said the allegations against Madumere were all cooked up.
Speaker of the Imo State Assembly, Acho Ihim, gave the directive during the House plenary, yesterday, after 18 members who were present at the plenary unanimously adopted the recommendations of the House Ad- hoc committee, chaired by Kennedy Ibe (Obowo) state Constituency, which was tasked with investigating the petition of gross misconduct against the deputy governor brought by 13 members of the House.
The speaker of the House had set up a six-man ad hoc committee, on Tuesday, to investigate the allegations against the deputy governor and report back to the House on its next plenary, yesterday.
The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Lugard Osuji (Owerri Municipal state constituency), had moved a motion, which was supported by Lloyd Chukwuemeka of Owerri North state constituency that the House be dissolved into committee of whole, to consider the recommendations of the Ad hoc committee Chairman, Kennedy Ibe (Obowo) state constituency, who had laid its report on the floor of the House.
Ihim said: “The adoption of the ad hoc committee’s report by the committee of the whole has said the deputy governor has a prima facie case to answer and should, therefore, be investigated on two of the allegations bordering on the absence from his office for 90 days without reasons and his refusal to attend both state executive council and the state security meeting..
“The House also directed the Chief Judge of the state to set up a seven-man panel of people with impeccable character and integrity, to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against the deputy governor.”
