Imo Assembly members okay investigation of deputy governor

Imo State Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere’s travail got messier yesterday as 19 members of the state House of Assembly, including the Speaker, Acho Ihim, directed the Chief Judge, Paschal Nnadi to investigate allegations of misconduct against him.

The Guardian learnt that Madumere would also be probed for alleged dereliction of duty and conviction for theft in the United States (U.S.), among others, as stipulated in the constitution.

Only five members under indefinite suspension and three others failed to sign the document for Madumere’s further investigation.

However, Mike Ihenetu (Aboh Mbaise); Kenneth Agbim (Ahiazu Mbaise) and Bruno Osinachi Ukoha (Ezinihitte Mbaise), declined to sign the document.

Based on the submission and deliberation of the report by the Kennedy Ibe-led committee during their resumed sitting yesterday, the 19 members formally endorsed the decision to probe Madumere, asking the state Chief Judge to set up a committee to investigate the allegations.

Part of the committee report stated that Madumere has a case to answer, given the weighty allegations against him.

The report also recommended that Ihim should request Nnadi to appoint a panel of seven men of ‘unquestionable integrity’ to investigate the allegations pursuant to section 188 (6) of the 1999 Constitution.

After adopting the report, Ihim requested members to file out and append their signatures to indicate their affirmation of the recommendations.

A notice of alleged misconduct and others earlier signed by 13 legislators against Madumere had been presented to Ihim by the Deputy Speaker, Ugonna Ozuruigbo on Tuesday, alleging that he (Madumere) failed to carry out the responsibilities of his office in the last three months without any reasons or permission.

Consequently, the Speaker constituted a six-man committee headed by Ibe to investigate the allegations and submit its report to the house on Wednesday, July 11, 2018. The house resumes sitting on Tuesday, July 17, 2018.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant, Media, to the Deputy Governor, Uche Onwuchekwa, yesterday disclosed that the lawmakers had not served Madumere any notice of charges against him for investigation.

He said the response he made through press statement to journalists on Tuesday was his own views and not Madumere’s, insisting that the Principal Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Obinna Aharanwa, received the notice.

He argued that by the provisions of the law, the Deputy Governor must personally receive such notice.