Politics

Imo State Swears In Calistus Ekenze as the New Imo Deputy Governor

Calistus Ekenze has been sworn in as the new deputy Governor of Imo State, barely 24 hours after Prince Eze Madumere was impeached by the State’s lawmakers.

Calistus Ekenze is currently being sworn in at the Sam Mbakwe expanded Exco Chambers, at the Government House in Owerri, the state capital.

We had reported that the former Deputy Governor Prince Eze Madumere, was impeached by 19 out of the 27 member-assembly, after he was accused of absence without reasons for a period of three months and a failure to perform constitutional duties like attending state executive and state security council meetings.

However reacting to the outcome of the impeachment proceedings, Prince Eze Madumere accused Governor Rochas Okorocha, of being the brain behind his “illegal” impeachment by the State House of Assembly on Monday.

Madumere flayed the House of Assembly for being a willing tool in the hands of the governor, for political witch hunting. The impeached deputy governor who described his removal from office as illegal, said neither the House of Assembly nor the seven-man panel set up by the chief judge of the state, Paschal Nnadi, invited him to any of their sittings.

Madumere’s media aide, Uche Onwuchekwa said that the House of Assembly has become “mere stooge in the hands of the governor.”

According to Onwuchekwa, “in disobedience to the restraining order against the Chief Judge, the seven-man panel, Speaker and members of Imo State House of Assembly from further action on the controversial impeachment proceeding against the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere, the House of Assembly in Gestapo manner, has removed the Deputy Governor of the state from office.

The Presiding Judge of High Court 8, Justice Benjamin Iheka had restrained the seven-man panel of Inquiry constituted by the Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Paschal Nnadi, the Chief Judge, Speaker and members of Imo State House of Assembly over a matter brought before the court that bothers on constitutional breaches in the procedure adopted to remove the Deputy Governor from the office.

The Acho Ihim-led faction of the members of the House sponsored by Governor Okorocha against the Court Order and the rule of law illegally removed the Deputy Governor in a kangaroo manner.

Against the requirement of the law, Prince Madumere was not given fair hearing as he was neither invited during the sitting of the investigative committee in the House of Assembly nor by the seven-man panel set up the Chief Judge.