A former governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, has warned his ex-deputy, Jude Agbaso, to stop the persistent attack on his person.
Okorocha in a statement on Wednesday in Owerri, the state capital, by his media aide, Sam Omwuemeodo, said that he had no hand in Agbaso’s impeachment by the State House of Assembly in 2013.
Okorocha was responding to Agbaso’s recent comments wherein he described Okorocha’s administration as “bad”.
The statement accused Agbaso of “remaining excessively angry or aggrieved over his impeachment in 2013 by the Imo state House of Assembly.”
The statement urged Agbaso to “cover his face in shame” instead of resorting to “incessant, unwarranted and provoked media attacks on Okorocha”.
The statement read “Ten years after, Sir Jude Agbaso has remained excessively angry or aggrieved, over his impeachment in 2013, by the Imo State House of Assembly for allegedly demanding and collecting N458Million bribe, from Mr Dina, the Managing Director of JPROS Company, that had N1.3 billion Contract for the Reconstruction of Sam. Mbakwe Road, Owerri.
“Jude Agbaso should have covered his face in shame, instead of resorting to incessant, unwarranted, and unprovoked media attacks on Okorocha.
“Twenty-four members of the Assembly including Hon. Adaku lhuoma who moved the motion for his impeachment in her capacity as the majority leader of the House and excluding the speaker, signed for his impeachment. The remaining two members traveled within the period in question. Okorocha didn’t play any role to that effect.
“Sir Agbaso did not appear before the 7- man judicial panel, to defend himself against the allegation of a N458 million bribe and to confront his accuser, Mr. Dina who boldly appeared before the panel. Rather, Agbaso decided to be venting his anger and frustration on Okorocha each time he woke up from his sleep.
“In his latest vituperation, he described Okorocha’s government as the worst. But he failed woefully to say how. With his impeachment, he could not have been a reliable and honest witness or commentator on Okorocha and his governorship in Imo. His assessment of Okorocha’s government should be adjudged, prejudiced and jaundiced, on arrival. Null and void. Of no effect whatsoever.
“Otherwise, he would have known that Okorocha’s achievements or signature projects are here and there to be seen. ln terms of security, infrastructure, roads, economy, political harmony, creation of wealth, empowerment, employment and so on, Okorocha did very well. We wait for his record of achievements to be beaten.
“Okorocha made Agbaso Commissioner for Works, even as a sitting Deputy Governor. ln other words, he was Deputy Governor and also Commissioner for Works. And if the M. D of JPROS could boldly come out to claim that, he demanded and collected N458 million bribe, and he could not appear to defend himself, against Dina’s claim, one could imagine what must have been the case, with other Contractors who could not have had the kind of courage the JPROS M.D had.
“Okorocha had trusted Agbaso by allowing him to double as Deputy Governor and as Commissioner for Works, which no other governor had done in the state. And Okorocha’s aim for doing that was grossly defeated because the beneficiary of the kind gestures, decided to play rough, following Dina’s claim and similar stories of improprieties. One could also fathom easily, why some of the roads constructed under him as Commissioner for Works, were the ones described by opponents of Okorocha as “China roads”.
“Agbaso should face his life and leave Okorocha alone. He should eternally be grateful to God and remain thankful to Okorocha, for finding him worthy at that time, to be his Deputy and also his Commissioner for Works. And with the development, the Jinx of perennial election losses was broken on the side of where he comes from.
“Okorocha would not have stopped the Assembly then, from carrying out its Constitutional responsibility. Most of them had also accused Agbaso of going “SOLO” on issues of contract Awards and enjoying the ” fruits” therein and thereto.
“Agbaso described Okorocha’s government as bad, perhaps, because Okorocha had entrusted some sensitive positions like that of Commissioner for Works into the wrong hands like his own. They betrayed the trust. Betrayed Okorocha. Betrayed Imo people. Betrayed posterity. They should, at best, be seen and not be heard.”
