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Imo Assembly Serves Deputy Gov Impeachment Notice

Published

7 years ago

July 18, 2018

Eric

The lawmakers of the Imo State House of Assembly have officially served an impeachment notice on the embattled Deputy Governor of the state, Prince Eze Madumere.

This is even as hundreds of the supporters of the deputy governor took to the major roads in the state capital on Tuesday to protest the ongoing impeachment proceedings on the state’s second citizen.

The impeachment notice, which was served on the deputy governor through substituted means (newspaper publications) on Tuesday in Owerri was signed by the Speaker, Acho Ihim and 13 other lawmakers.

When our correspondent visited the office of the deputy governor Tuesday afternoon, the notice of gross misconduct was pasted at the entrance door to his office

Other lawmakers who signed the impeachment notice are Ugonna Ozuruigbo (Nwangele), Chinedu Offor (Onuimo), Ikechukwu Amuka (Ideato South ), Lawrence Duruji (Ehime Mbano), Uche Ejiogu (Ihite Uboma), Henry Ezediaro (Oguta), Maxwell Odunze (Orlu), Lloyd Chukwuemeka (Owerri North), Chika Madumere (Nkwerre), Uju Onwudiwe (Njaba), Ngozi Obiefule (Isu), Victor Onyewuchi (Owerri west), and Arthur Egwim (Ideato North)

The impeachment notice which was titled, ‘Notice of gross misconduct’, outlined the alleged misconduct and addressed to Madumere.

The notice alleged that the deputy governor had “concealment of felonious conduct affecting the presentation of self as an eligible candidate of office of deputy governor, Imo State, having been convicted and imprisoned for theft in the United States of America.”

Other allegations of misconduct include “absence without official reason of permission duly obtained from office for a period of three months.”

The state House of Assembly allegedly backed by Governor Rochas Okorocha had accused Madumere, among other things, of abandoning his duties and office as the state’s number two citizen for a long time.

The lawmakers also accused Madumere of refusing to carry out official duties assigned to him by the governor; refusal to attend State Executive Council meetings; and refusal to hold meetings with the governor and commissioners, among others.

The notice of service according to the Speaker was in pursuant to Section 188(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.

It read partly “Take notice that pursuant to Section 188(2)(b) of the 1999 constitution, I, Right Honourable Acho Ihim, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Imo State of Nigeria, do, hereby, serve upon you, Prince Eze Madumere, Deputy Governor, Imo State of Nigeria, the notice of misconduct, duly issued under the hand of not less than one-third of the members of the Imo State House of Assembly.”

Meanwhile, protesters numbering over 3,000 on Tuesday took over the major streets of Owerri, the capital of Imo State, to register their grievances over the plot to impeach Madumere.

The House during Wednesday’s sitting, ordered the Clerk of the House, Chris Duru, to write the state Chief Judge, Paschal Nnadi, to probe the allegations and ascertain if the deputy governor was guilty of gross misconduct as contained in a petition signed by 13 members of the House.

But the protesters described the move against Madumere as a grave injustice, saying that the allegations were trumped up charges aimed at impeaching the deputy governor for daring to oppose Okorocha’s position to install his son-in-law as the next governor of the state.

The protesters had taken over the streets of Owerri as early as 6 am, chanting various anti-Okorocha songs, accusing the governor of masterminding what they termed as kangaroo charges against his deputy.

They maintained that Madumere was innocent of all the charges being levelled against him.

They also described the state House of Assembly as the worst Imo had ever had, calling it a mere rubber stamp in the hand of Okorocha.

They also carried placards with various inscriptions such as, “Okorocha leave Madumere alone;” “Okorocha, must you foist your son-in-law on Imo people?”; “We are in a democracy not in ‘familiocracy;’” “We say no to Okorocha’s third term agenda;” “APC will not accept the imposition of family candidate;” “NWC, rise up before we lose Imo to PDP;” and “We appeal to President Buhari to intervene in Imo situation.”

“Okorocha controls the House as his personal estate, without reference to the feelings and aspirations of the citizenry,” they said.

The protest, which brought vehicular and human movements to a standstill, saw workers abandoning their vehicles to walk long distances to their places of work.

Traders were also not spared in the agony as major streets such as Wetheral, Okigwe Road, Assumpta Avenue, Tetlow Road and other adjoining streets were shut down as a result of the surging crowd.

Addressing newsmen, one of the leaders, Mr Chidiebere Nworgu, lamented that the state was sliding “into a one-man business, where an individual now treats Imolites with levity.”

He maintained that it’s high time Imo citizens resisted such undemocratic tendencies coming from Okorocha.

The lawyer further called on the clergy and the elite to speak out against this injustice against Madumere and other Imo citizens.

He queried; “Where has Madumere derailed? This is a man who has been discharging his duties conscientiously coupled with infectious humility. Is it not the same Okorocha that told us that the deputy governor that does not give him stress, which made him pronounce in various fora that “Prince Madumere is a son in whom he is well pleased.”

He further attributed the love lost between the governor and the deputy to Madumere’s insistence in taking his destiny in his hand by making himself available to contest the governorship of the state against Okorocha’s resolve to foist his son-in-law on the citizenry.

Nworgu, however, explained that the charter of equity must be adhered to, insisting that it was the turn of Owerri zone to produce the next governor in 2019.

In his contribution, Stanley Onuoha, said there was nothing wrong in Madumere’s decision to pursue his ambition, noting that it was only God that could give power.

He charged Nigerian politicians to stop playing God in pursuit of self-aggrandisement.

Onuoha maintained that the deputy governor was eminently qualified to govern the state with his education, cognate experience and exposure in the corporate world, governance and impeccable strength of character.

Prominent leaders across the nation had continued to speak against the impeachment plot because of its negative implication in the polity.

Senator Victor Umeh, Rt. Emeka Ihedioha, and Chief Zeek-Martins Nnadozie are some prominent Imolites that had also berated Okorocha and the House of Assembly for the impeachment plot. They described it as an onslaught against democracy.

The Punch

Featured

US Cancels Visa Processing for Nigeria, Brazil, Russia, 72 Other Countries

Published

4 minutes ago

January 14, 2026

Eric

The Trump administration is suspending all visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday.

The spokesperson did not elaborate on the plan, first reported by Fox News, which cited a State Department memo.

The pause will begin on January 21, Fox News said.

Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria, Thailand are among the affected countries, according to the report.

The memo directs U.S. embassies to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses its procedures. No time frame was provided.

The reported pause comes amid the sweeping immigration crackdown pursued by Republican U.S. President Donald Trump since taking office last January.

In November, Trump had vowed to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries” following a shooting near the White House by an Afghan national that killed a National Guard member.

Source: Reuters

Featured

‘A Friend of a Thief is a Thief’, Defence Minister Warns Gumi, Other Bandit-Sympathizers

Published

2 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Eric

The Minister of Defence Minister, Lt.-Gen. Christopher Musa, (rtd), has warned Sheikh Ahmed Gumi and other persons in the country against including bandits in northern brotherhood.

General Musa, via a statement on Wednesday in Maiduguri, declared: “A friend of a thief is a thief,” warning Nigerians against supporting terrorists and bandits in any form.

He said that the warning statement is neither accidental nor symbolic; explaining that it is a clear response to narratives previously promoted by Sheikh Gumi, who described bandits’ hiding in the bush as “our brothers” and argued that society cannot do without them.

General Musa’s message draws a firm line between compassion and complicity. While empathy has its place, justifying or normalising terrorism only strengthens criminal networks that have devastated communities, displaced families, and claimed innocent lives.

Labeling bandit as “brothers” does not reduce violence it legitimizes and undermines national security efforts.

The Defence minister’s warning serves as a reminder that terrorism thrives not only on weapons but also on moral cover. Anyone who excuses, defends, or shields criminals through words, influence, or silence shares responsibility for the consequences. In matters of national security, neutrality is not an option.

Nigeria cannot defeat banditry and terrorism while dangerous rhetoric blurs the line between victims and perpetrators. The choice is clear: stand with the law and the nation, or be counted among those enabling crime.

Featured

Strategy and Sovereignty: Inside Adenuga’s Oil Deal of the Decade

Published

3 days ago

January 11, 2026

Eric

By Michael Abimboye

In global energy circles, the most consequential deals are often not the loudest. They unfold quietly, reshape portfolios, recalibrate value, and only later reveal their full significance.

The recent strategic transaction between Conoil Producing Limited and TotalEnergies belongs firmly in that category. A deal whose implications stretch beyond balance sheets into Nigeria’s long-troubled oil production narrative.

For Mike Adenuga, named The Boss of the Year 2025 by The Boss Newspapers, the agreement is more than a corporate milestone. It is the culmination of a long-term upstream strategy that is now translating into hard value barrels, cash flow, and renewed confidence in indigenous capacity.

At the heart of the transaction is a portfolio rebalancing agreement that sees TotalEnergies deepen its interest in an offshore asset while Conoil consolidates full ownership of a producing block critical to its medium-term growth trajectory. The parties have not publicly disclosed the monetary value, industry analysts place similar offshore and shallow-water asset transfers in the high hundreds of millions of dollars, depending on reserve certification and development timelines. What is indisputable, however, is the deal’s structural clarity: each partner exits with assets aligned to its strategic strengths.

For Conoil, the transaction represents something more profound than asset shuffling. It is the validation of an indigenous oil company’s ability to operate, produce, and partner at scale. That validation was already underway in 2024, when Conoil achieved a landmark breakthrough: the successful production and export of Obodo crude, a new Nigerian crude blend from its onshore acreage.

In a country where new crude streams have become rare, Obodo’s emergence signalled operational maturity. More importantly, it shifted Conoil from being perceived primarily as a downstream and marginal upstream player into a full-spectrum producer with export-grade assets.

The commercial impact was immediate. Obodo crude enhanced Conoil’s revenue profile, strengthened cash flows, and materially improved the company’s asset valuation.

For Mike Adenuga, Obodo represented something else entirely: oil income with scale and durability. Producing crude shifts wealth from theoretical to realised. It is the difference between potential and proof.

That momentum was reinforced by Conoil’s acquisition of a new drilling rig, a move that underscored its intent to control not just resources, but execution. In an industry where rig availability often dictates production timelines, owning modern drilling capacity gives Conoil a strategic advantage lowering costs, reducing dependency, and accelerating development cycles. It also enhances the company’s bargaining power in partnerships such as the one with TotalEnergies.

Taken together, the Obodo crude success, the rig acquisition, and the TotalEnergies transaction, these moves materially expand Conoil’s enterprise value. While private company valuations remain opaque, upstream assets with proven production, infrastructure control, and international partnerships typically command significant multiple expansion. For Adenuga, all of these represents a stabilising and appreciating pillar of wealth.

As The Boss Newspapers honours Mike Adenuga as Boss of the Year 2025, the recognition lands at a moment when his oil ambitions are no longer peripheral to his legacy. They are central. In Obodo crude, in steel rigs, and in carefully negotiated partnerships, Adenuga is shaping a version of Nigerian capitalism that privileges patience, scale, and execution over spectacle.

In the end, the most powerful statement of wealth is not net worth rankings or headlines. It is the ability to convert strategy into assets, assets into production, and production into national relevance. On that score, the Conoil–TotalEnergies deal may well stand as one of the most consequential chapters in Mike Adenuga’s business story and in Nigeria’s evolving oil future.