BY ADANNA UJU
The frosty relationship between Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and his Deputy, Prince Eze Madumere is far from being over.
Reason is that both are still entangled in wave of acrimony judging from the lasted verbal exchanges where the Deputy Governor claims that he is one of the reasons the governor is alive. In two separate releases, the Deputy Governor lashed at the governor.
Prince Madumere made the clarification while fielding questions from newsmen over Governor Okorocha’s verbal attack on him by explaining how he made the governor.
Prince Madumere explained that without him there could not have been today’s Rochas Okorocha and could not have become even a Governor.
The Deputy Governor further chided Governor Okorocha for blackmailing him and other members of cabinet as incompetent and talking them down, querying the yardstick for denying those that made him succeed.
He wondered why Governor Okorocha could have the temerity to insult him, saying he is incompetent when he was the one that developed him from his crude nature to what he is today. He also revealed that he has refused to join issues with Chief Okorocha for obvious reason of not destroying what God has used him to do.
Explaining his background and relationship with Governor Okorocha, he said: “I have tried hard not to join issues with Governor Rochas. Those individuals he mentioned in his interview are all here. You have the immediate past SGI and former Accountant General, Sir George Eche, former Chief of Staff and former SGI, Sir Jude Ejiogu, former Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly and present Distinguished Senator, Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu and of course myself, Prince Eze Madumere, former Chief of Staff and the Deputy Governor of Imo State at present. If Madumere is not competent enough for all these years and that has been a hunch behind Rochas’ back. Without me, Rochas Okorocha would not have been where he is today and as a Governor. That alone speaks louder than even my pedigree. If we lay out our backgrounds in all ramifications, including our family background, I came from a better respected home than Rochas. Rochas has no home. All I can tell you is that I am more qualified and have better pedigree to govern Imo State than Rochas Okorocha; and I will do better as a Governor than what Rochas Okorocha has done. As a Deputy Governor, I rightly chose to take the side of the people than the side of the family of Rochas Okorocha.”
The statement furthers stated that “However, the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prince Madumere said he has no regrets sacrificing all to ensure that Chief Okorocha was better molded and became what he is. He revealed that the true test of the real nature of anybody is when he gets power, which is the case with Governor Okorocha.
“It will be recalled that Prince Madumere was in corporate America at the high echelon before he was beckoned on by Okorocha to join him and help him succeed in his bid to achieve success in politics. Prince Madumere in a bid to help his friend was there for Governor Okorocha to manage his campaign and his outing at the Constitutional Conference between 1994 and 1995.
“He vowed never to change his nature because of one ill-fated human development project that but would continue to work with good matured Imolites to continue to contribute to the development of the State and take it to its” .
Reacting over a claim by Okorocha insinuating that Madumere still lives in the Governor’s house and a beneficiary of his (Okorocha) empowerment, the campaign team of the Deputy Governor stated that the governor should cast his mind back on how they met by querrying if “Okorocha could have been alive today if not for God’s Grace through Madumere”.
In the statement, the Madumere camp states “The attention of the campaign organization of Prince Eze Madumere, the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Project Madumere 2019 has been drawn to Chief Rochas Okorocha’s outburst, insinuating that our revered leader, Prince Eze Madumere, the Deputy Governor still lives in his house and a beneficiary of his empowerment.
“Were it not for the concern of the public, we would not have bothered joining issues with our Governor, having known him for his garrulous disposition and lack of control spewing whatever that comes to his mind.
“We wish to call on the general public to disregard Chief Okorocha’s unfortunate blackmail against Prince Madumere. We understand Chief Okorocha’s predicament and soul-burdens, which are self-inflicted, following his callous and inhuman treatment against his Deputy and Imo people. We view his outburst as mere defense mechanism to cover up certain tracks.
“We were miffed to learn that Governor Okorocha, in actuality, called Prince Madumere one of his political sons, among whom he empowered. He went further to, shamelessly, lie that Prince Madumere still lives in his house.
“Governor Okorocha may have thought that he scored a political point by deriding Prince Madumere but unknown to him, he goofed. For us, it is wholly unfortunate that Governor Okorocha had no shame to face the camera to tell the whole world that his Deputy does not have a house of his own. May we inform the general public that Prince Madumere does not live in Okorocha’s house. Prince Madumere, despite the effort to impoverish him by denying him his entitlement and other out of pocket expenditures, has remained contented with whatever he has acquired genuinely.
“We wish to also urge Governor Okorocha to cast his mind back on how he met Prince Madumere. “Could Okorocha have been alive today if not for God’s grace through Madumere?”
“We are constrained from making some public utterances concerning Governor Okorocha because of the temperament of our Principal, Prince Madumere. He should however count his teeth with his tongue because a man who claims to be a leader should not be flippant and have short memory to the extent of forgetting those God used to rescue him.
“Our consolation is that the good people of Imo State can never blame Madumere for his good deeds and sacrifices towards moulding Okorocha into developing his assumed leadership qualities, though we seem to be confused by the turn of events. “For now, we will not dwell on Okorocha’s trajectory, because while Prince Madumere remained his political principal officer before his quest to contest for the Governorship of the State, Madumere was the best negotiator that he ever had.
