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Tag: Agbaso

  • APGA forum condemns Agbaso over secretariat

    APGA forum condemns Agbaso over secretariat

    The national co-ordinator of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Media Warriors Forum, Evang Chinedu Obigwe, has condemned the take-over of the APGA National secretariat by Chief Martin Agbaso and his supporters.

    Obigwe, in a statement, said: “On Thursday Martin Agbaso in company of policemen broke into APGA national secretariat but when the police realised that Martin Agbaso and his cohorts misled them with false information ,the police hierarchy withdrew policemen from the APGA secretariat and Hon Labaran Maku ,APGA National Secretary, arrived the national party secretariat to access the level of damage done on the secretariat and to take stock of documents.

    “The invasion of APGA secretariat by Martin Agbaso and his cohorts is tantamount to contempt of court.  They should be arrested and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to those with penchant for disobeying court orders with impunity. A court of competent jurisdiction in Nnewi , Awka and Ibadan gave separate orders restraining Martin Agbaso and his cohorts from parading themselves as national leaders of APGA and that their continuous parade as APGA national leaders contemptuous of valid court order, smacks of impunity and mischief that is not healthy for our democracy. Using Martin Agbaso to throw spanners on the foreseen victory wheel of Governor Obiano’s merited second term in office bid is bound to fail because it is already a divinely sealed deal that cannot be truncated by hatchet job executors and propaganda merchants. I call on lovers of democracy to call Martin Agbaso to order for the growth of our country democratic system of governance.”

  • ‘Agbaso’s plot against Obiano will fail’

    NATIONAL Co-ordinator of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Media Warriors Forum, Evang Chinedu Obigwe, has accused a factional leader of the party, Chief Martin Agbaso, of plotting to frustrate the re-election of Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano.

    Obigwe, in a statement yesterday, said the plot would fail.

    His statement reads: “It is now obvious Martin Agbaso and his cohorts are being used by disgruntled politicians to overheat the polity in APGA and Anambra State. His claim of Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, validating his factional and disputed leadership of APGA is pathological lies that lacks an iota of truth. I humbly challenge him to publish his acclaimed Court of Appeal judgment in national newspapers the same way the Victor Oye-led leadership of APGA published the Nnewi High Court Judgment that restrained him from parading himself as APGA national chairman and from conducting primary election for the November 18 governorship election.

    “Failure to publish his constantly  referred Court of Appeal judgment that is in his favour will serve as an evidential proof to Nigerians that he is an impostor and usurper scheming to reap where he did not sow.

    “May I humbly advise him to desist from flouting the Nnewi and Awka High Court judgment that restrained him from parading as APGA national chairman. APGA faithful are advised in their own interest to prepare for the forthcoming primary election with Victor Oye- led leadership released timetable and disregard the the confusionist antics of  Agbaso and his cohorts.”

  • APGA reaffirms Agbaso as acting National Chairman

    APGA reaffirms Agbaso as acting National Chairman

    •Says Victor Oye remain suspended

    The leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has reaffirmed Martin Agbaso as the Acting National Chairman, in accordance with decision of the Court of Appeal which sacked Victor Oye.

    The party said it was laughable that the Victor Oye-led group was challenging the decision of the court, describing such move as an attempt to ridicule the judiciary in the state.

    The Appeal Court in Enugu, on July 10, validated a High Court order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and deal with the Martin Agbaso-led APGA, following the suspension of Victor Oye as National Chairman.

    A statement by the Acting National Publicity Secretary Onapuruagu Ukaegbu said the party’s programme ahead of the November 18 governorship election in Anambra remained unchanged. It said the August 18 primaries will hold as planned in Awka.

    The statement read: “The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) notes with amusement and derision, the bastardisation of the Anambra State judiciary by the state government, under the watch of Governor Willie Obiano, in their hallucinated attempt to prop up their puppet chairman, Victor Oye.

    “The Awka High Court judicial rascality is of no moment. Article 20(4) of APGA Constitution, under which Oye was suspended, is explicit and does not require a national convention and should not have befuddled the judge in his mischief and misapplication.

    “Also, the Nnewi Interlocutory Order does not call for much discussion, being a rehash of the earlier ex-parte Order vacated by the same court as being offensive to Section 87(II) of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended.

    “The provisions of the Electoral Act are clear and robs any court the jurisdiction and powers to bar persons, parties and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting primaries or election.

    “Chief Martin Agbaso remains the national chairman of APGA until the Court of Appeal or Supreme Court decides otherwise. The party’s programme and activities for the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State is on cruise control and unstoppable.”

     

  • Agbaso: No automatic ticket for Obiano

    Agbaso: No automatic ticket for Obiano

    Chief Martin Agbaso is the Acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). In this interview with TONY AKOWE, he speaks on the leadership crisis in the party, which may affect its preparations for the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State.

    Recently, you held a meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and it is believed that the meeting had to do with your party. What is the outcome of that meeting?

    As you are all aware, the High Court in Enugu under Justice Ozoemena on May 22, 2017 gave an Order of  Mandamus, compelling INEC to recognise me as the Acting National Chairman of APGA. When that order was given, a letter was duly written by our lawyers compiling a compendium of what transpired in the court and sent to the INEC.

    Prior to that time, on October 5, 2016, the National Working Committee (NWC) had suspended Dr Victor Ike Oye, then National Chairman of APGA, for various offences he did not have answers to. In accordance with the party constitution, a seven-man committee was set up to investigate the matter. But, all efforts by the committee to meet with him to address most of the issues proved abortive. APGA took the matter to court in Abuja asking INEC and the police to stop Oye from parading himself as the national chairman of the party. Oye petitioned that the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the matter. The court ruled that it had validly dealt with APGA matters in the past, adding that it is in the same court that Victor Umeh and Chekwas Okorie’s case was decided. Oye challenged the decision of the lower court at the Appeal Court which was adjourned to December 14 this year. Shortly after the case was instituted, the then acting national chairman, Ozo Nwabueze Okafor took ill with colon cancer, and eventually died on January 8 this year. In accordance with the constitution of the  party, I became the acting national chairman. Before then, I was the Acting Deputy National Chairman. Under APGA constitution, with the demise or suspension or expulsion of the national chairman, the next highest officer from the zone he came from replaces him. That was what I did. All these documents were sent to INEC for information and recognition. After waiting for over one month for INEC to react without hearing from it, the APGA vice chairman in Enugu where I was nominated as the acting national chairman went to court in Enugu, praying the Court to compel INEC to recognise me since we had  given INEC the documentations of the series of meetings and the party processes we followed to arrive at nominating me the acting national chairman. The court went through all the paper works and the processes before issuing the Order of Mandamus asking INEC to recognise me immediately. It also ordered the police and the IGP to do same. We expected to get reactions from INEC within 48 hours, but unfortunately it never reacted. In the mean time, the parties had gone to the Court of Appeal in Enugu to vacate that Order of Mandamus, the court sat on July 10 and upheld the order of the lower court which compelled INEC to further recognise me. It is those documents from the  rulings that we finally took to the INEC headquarters to do the needful. The good thing is that we had very  fruitful meeting with INEC. But I don’t want to pre-empt the action the Commission will take. I want to emphasise that I am very satisfied with the meeting. We will wait to see what action INEC will take in the next couple of days. However, INEC does not have to give us a letter since an order of the court has been given. Our action is just to put INEC on notice.

    What is the arrangement for the party’s primary and congresses or will you give automatic ticket to Governor  Obiano?

    We have issued 21-day notice to INEC for the conduct of our party primary and congresses scheduled for August 17 and I can assure you that we are ready to kick-start the processes leading up to the Anambra governorship election. The speculation of a plot to stop Governor Obiano is absolute rubbish. How can we plot against a governor who has done very well, a governor we are all proud of? There is no truth to such rumour and propaganda. Asking whether we will give automatic ticket to the incumbent governor is a question I cannot deal with now. However, all I can tell you is that our party will showcase internal democracy. That question was an unfair one. Confirming that the party will give the governor automatic ticket means that we will be very unfair to other five to seven aspirants contesting for the position. All we can do is to ensure internal democracy. However, when you have a sitting governor who has done very well, there is nothing to worry about on whether he will be nominated again. Let me add that the dreams and visions of the founding fathers of APGA is to build a party that will give impetus to those that don’t have the opportunity to partake in the governance of this country and to also take advantage of the widespread Igbo residence in other ethnic groups. We want the downtrodden and the very poor in the society to look up to APGA as a party full of opportunities, a party to fulfil the yearnings of the people and provide good governance. These exactly are the vision of the party for the country. What has happened so far in Anambra with the governors under APGA really met the vision of the party. The eight years of Peter Obi set Anambra miles away from other governments in the region with physical responsibility which saved much money. The governor embarked on the provision of infrastructure, rebuilt the education sector, overhauled hospitals, created due process in every aspect of governance and made governance open.  He ensured level playing grounds for those who have the capacity to perform. In reality, it was eight years of successful administration. We have now had three and half years of Obiano who has continued with the template set up by the Peter Obi administration. He has equally done reasonably well. Anambra under APGA is a model case for other states in the southern regions. APGA has no fear in the forthcoming Anambra governorship election because it will be a testimonial for the good work the party has done. Given the fact that APGA has done well in Anambra State, we have so much to take to the electorate and expect that the party will sweep the votes by November.

    How would you describe your relationship with Obiano and other major stakeholders in the party?

    APGA has become a major institution, yet Nigerians have continued to talk about individuals. We are still struggling to build an institution which should last beyond and above individuals. We cannot be talking about Victor Umeh for instance whose tenure expired after serving as the party’s national chairman for almost 10 years.

    APGA as an institution remains strong and my responsibility is to make it stronger when I leave in the next four  years or so. What should be our concern should be what the institution stands for, the template we have offered to the people, opportunities we created, how we put Nigeria back to work and how we can restore the confidence Nigerians had in the country.

    Do you regret making Rochas the governor of Imo State?

    By my nature as a Christian and as a catholic, I always put most of my actions before God. I won’t tell you whether  I regretted any action I took in making Rochas the governor because at the time I took the decision, it was the best. Some people have expressed disappointed that I supported an Orlu man instead of an Owerri man. But the reality was that no Owerri man informed me of his interest to contest. I stand to be challenged. Rochas was the only person who asked for my support in a most humble manner.

    How do you intend to restore the confidence of your supporters, especially your state chairman, who has declared loyalty to the Oye faction of the party?

    I want to remind you that each time a man’s position is threatened, he fights fiercely. It is the situation facing my state chairman because he must have seen the tsunami coming to blow his position away. I am not going to join issues with him because I was very instrumental to that seat he is occupying now including paying for the office complex and the furnishing. However, I am not coming to sack anybody but to heal and unite the people. I don’t hold any animosity or anger against him because I know he will change soon. Anybody still in doubt whether my people are solidly with me should refer to the reception accorded me in Owerri recently.

    What is your assessment of the threat from other political parties over the November 18 governorship election?

    I don’t see the challenge from other political parties as threat because there is no state in Nigeria where the incumbent is allowed to contest election alone. Candidates must jostle for political positions during elections. Again, you know that Anambra is a very dynamic state, full of many people with the capacity and eminently qualified to contest. However, what is going to stand out is each person’s antecedents. I want to add that APGA has done incredibly well with Peter Obi laying a solid foundation.

    The country is still in recession and the government has made several promises to take the country out of recession very soon. How do you think this can best be achieved.

    We are a country of over 170 million people. We need over 17 million skilled persons to drive an economy of this size. Unfortunately, we don’t have up to one million skilled persons in medical science, ICT, commence and industry in this country. Our education is in comatose. These are the concerns of APGA as a party. We must do something to improve the curriculum we teach our children and the level of encouragement and remunerations we give to our teachers. It is true that people still die of malaria in this country, a disease that can be cured with just N1000. This means that there are people who stand between them and death because their lives are not worth N800. We have 65 per cent of Nigerians operating under zero economy, meaning a situation where a man does not have N1000 income in a month. To come out of recession, we must begin to look at our receivables and payables. How much is our income, what do we have to spend to run government, provide infrastructure and how to block the huge gap created by our reliance on oil and oil related transactions. Government must quickly look for ways and means of generating additional income to cushion the effect of the income and expenditure gap. Yes, the first approach would be to tighten the loose ends and leakages in the system. But we must find a way of earning additional income. We have to also add value to those other avenues of earning income so that we can create jobs that will lead to disposable income. When many have disposable incomes, consumer confidence will rise. There will be capacity to buy and be able to pay. We must understand that it is a cycle that keeps recreating and regenerating money. We must have skilled young, dynamic, proactive workforce to create the wealth. We have many gifted young Nigerians. Look at what is happening at the computer village and job centres like Aba, Ibadan among others where young Nigerians are creating all manners of technological-driven businesses. There is no magic or shortcut to our coming out of recession other than doing the right things and taking the right decisions. Government must cut the fats in the expenditures like blotted salaries, allowances among others which we can no longer afford. We must also look into contract pricing for roads, bridges to save cost.

  • ‘Agbaso was not impeached because of corruption’

    ‘Agbaso was not impeached because of corruption’

    All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) chieftain Chief Martin Agbaso is the elder brother of the impeached deputy governor of Imo State, Sir Jude Agbaso. He spoke with reporters in Lagos on the Okorocha Administration, the allegations of bribery against the former deputy governor, the investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other issues. EMMANUEL OLADESU was there. 

    What is the latest on the investigation of the bribery allegation against former Imo State Deputy Governor Jude Agbaso by the EFCC?

    In the third week of March, last year, my brother, Mr. Jude Ikechukwu Agbaso, the former deputy governor of Imo State, was accused of receiving N458 million bribe from a Lebanese contractor.

    Then, I, in very clear terms, said that my brother had nothing to do with the bribery. It was Rochas Okorocha who approved the contract, awarded it, paid the said contractor N1.3 billion of Imo State money without due process, without even an award letter or any form of advance payment guarantee. So, the curious thing at the point was, why would a man who did all this, who got all the benefits that were unprecedented from the governor, go to the deputy governor who was away in India on official assignment, and give him a bribe of almost 40 per cent of the money collected? That didn’t make sense to me. And, I said that, we, as a family, would do every thing humanly possible to get to the crux of the matter; we would do everything to find out who took this money, where the money is domiciled and who the beneficiaries were.

    Then, the news broke. The EFCC, after putting us through grueling, painful, eight months of investigation, finally cleared my brother or any Agbaso for that matter, of any wrong doing, of any involvement whatsoever in the alleged bribe scandal. Again, this man went to the Imo State House of Assembly and said to them: “I am a Lebanese contractor. I have taken N458 million of Imo State money and given to the deputy Governor.” They kissed this man and told him to walk away and began hunting a deputy governor who knew nothing.

    Okorocha said that, as long as Jude Agbaso remained the deputy governor, his life was at risk; that Agbaso could kill him. This is someone whose deputy governor was impeached, someone who got into office on the same ticket as you, was impeached in the most brazen manner, malicious and mischevious manner, in a show of shame that this country has never seen before.

    Are you saying that the impeachment did not follow the due process?

    Before the impeachment panel could even sit to look at the papers, a report had been sent to the House of Assembly. Before the House of Assembly could finish the process, a deputy governor nominee had been selected. Before the man could say Jack Robinson, a new deputy governor was sworn in and yet, the governor said he didn’t know anything about it.

    Was there an agreement on one term between you and the governor?

    There has been a catalogue of anomalies committed by the administration of Rochas Okorocha. You are just determined to destroy my name in the eyes of the Imo people and Nigerians. You had an agreement with me that you were going to be governor for four years and we both signed this agreement, which was witnessed by the National Chairman of the APGA. And you made this pronouncement in churches, in halls, in stadia; everywhere you said to people that you had an agreement with Martin Agbaso that you would be governor for one term, and after that, the governorship would go to Owerri Zone, which rightfully should produce the next governor.

    Instead of doing that, you are looking for a way to tarnish my image. But, it’s not going to work because there is a God out there, who rules in the affairs of men and women. You can’t continue to mislead the people, and lie your way through life as if it’s business as usual.

    Could you shed more light on the so-called EFCC’s clearance of Jude Agbaso

    For the first time in this country, somebody was accused of something and the person wrote to the EFCC, the ICPC to come and investigate him. He said: “If you find me guilty, jail me. But, if you find me innocent, say it so I can clear myself. Now, the job of the EFCC is to investigate the matter. When they are through with investigation, if they find you wanting on any of the allegations, then, they take you to the the court for prosecution. The `EFCC has concluded this investigation and found nothing. The money, which was said to have been given to you as bribe, was lodged in two accounts; one in Dubai and one in Lebanon. We know where these monies are. The EFCC has confirmed that Jude Agbaso did not commit the crime. Joseph Dina himself has said in a written statement that he did not give him bribe. If Jude Agbaso committed any crime, the EFCC would be prosecuting him in court.

    What is your next step now on the matter?

    First of all, I owe the people of Imo State a big apology. I was misled by Governor Rochas Okorocha. I did not know his antecedents before I went into an agreement with him. By everything he has done in Imo State, he has shown that he is a person who does not honour agreement.

    What I saw was a philanthropist, who trains other people’s children. And I believed that, if he could do that, when he gets into a position of authority, our people would be better off. Everything I did was to propel Imo State forward. Because I was already in court for three and half years, fighting a legal battle over elections I won in 2007, I was not prepared to go into an election in 2011. This guy came and, with his normal talk-talk, I thought we had a good candidate. Please, Ndi-Imo, I am sorry for bringing this man. He brought himself and I helped him. I thought it was the best thing to do at the time. But that is the limit of a human being. I could not see tomorrow.

    Now, he is saying that Jude Agbaso was incompetent. How can you say that a man is incompetent when his boss, the governor, was the one who brought the contractor, paid him, awarded the contract without any advance payment guarantee or letter of award.

    This payment did not go through the ministry at all. By the time the commissioner who was the deputy governor knew what was happening, the money had been paid. In fact, the first N200 million that was given to that man was paid in cash. So, how do you say that such a man is incompetent?

    Is it true that the governor paid you for the APGA ticket in 2011?

    I expected an apology from Rochas Okorocha. Yet, instead of apologising to someone who invested heavily in his campaign, and to the young man who has worked with you, you try to destroy him. Instead of apologising, you’re even undermining the letter which exonerated him. The most shameful thing that has come out of Rochas Okorocha’s mouth is that he paid Martin Agbaso for the APGA ticket. I gave Rochas Okorocha my word that I would help him become the governor. I funded his campaign. I brought people to give money. I don’t want to mention their names so I do not embarrass them. How can someone who he is now owing money for funding the campaign be the same person he gave money for ticket?

    Everybody saw me canvassing for votes in every village. My house was the command headquarters for the elections; everything was done in my house. What thank you do I get? You try to destroy my family name. And you see him singing church choruses and quoting the bible. When it’s convenient, he quotes the Qu’ran. Who is he to keep trying to mislead Nigerians and assume that we are foolish?

     

  • Agbaso: I’m ready to serve Imo again

    Impeached Deputy Governor of Imo State Jude Agbaso yesterday restated his readiness to serve the people in any capacity.

    Agbaso, who spoke to reporters in Emekuku, Owerri North Local Government Area, insisted that he will serve the state over and over again, if given the opportunity.

    He said: “If given the opportunity in the future I will gladly serve my state. It is saddening that when you serve in good faith people will pay you in bad coin. But the people know better.”

    The former deputy governor also stated that he will continue to challenge his impeachment in court to clear his family’s name.

    Agbaso, who debunked a statement credited to Governor Rochas Okorocha that he received N50 million monthly as security vote, said his office then was grossly under funded.

    “I never received such money in fact my office was under funded. For the period I was in office I never received allowances for my travels within and outside the country. I sponsored my trips even when I was representing the state,” he explained.

  • ‘We did not receive bribe to impeach Agbaso’

    ‘We did not receive bribe to impeach Agbaso’

    Imo State House of Assembly Speaker Benjamin Uwajumogu spoke with OKODILI NDIDI on the controversy generated by the impeachment of the former deputy governor, Mr. Jude Agbaso.

     

     

    Was there a plan by the House of Assembly to impeach the former Imo State deputy governor before the controversy?

    Imo State House of Assembly never at any time thought about impeaching the former deputy governor. That was never on the card. In this state, everybody knows that the executive and the legislature are getting on well. On the contrary, if there was anybody whose impeachment was talked about, it was Governor Rochas Okorocha.

    How did the impeachment of Agbaso begin?

    Jude Agbaso’s impeachment is unfortunate. Sometimes in June last year, we got information from the executive about an over payment made to a contractor, who still abandoned the site. And the House of Assembly, as a responsible House, cannot sit down and watch without acting when it’s obvious that the state government money was involved. Investigations commenced and the former deputy governor was invited by the committee set up to investigate. The directors and permanent secretaries from the Ministry of Works, of which he was also a commissioner. And actually, it was the deputy governor and the governor that initially arrested the J-PROS Managing Director, Mr. Dina Joseph. It was in the police station that Mr. Dina made the confessions and signed the report that indicted Jude Agbaso.

    But we heard that he has brought the MTN call log. Are you aware of this?

    All we hear about is that he has brought his call logs; we are yet to have it published in any newspapers or submitted to the House of Assembly. And he had the opportunity of defending himself after the House submitted his report, which was published in the newspapers and on the internet for everybody to read. How the House came to its conclusion is there. The judiciary set up a seven-man panel to investigate those allegations. The former deputy governor had an opportunity to go to the seven-man panel and clear himself, but he did not.

    The Agbasos claimed that the House did not do a thorough job, claiming that the money has been traced to Dubai. What is your reaction?

    We are not an investigative agency. Imo State House of Assembly is a law-making institution. We are not bound by the rules of engagement of the law enforcement agency. In the House of Assembly, we deal with what we have seen. What we were investigating was the reason for the stoppage and abandonment of projects. He abandoned the road for more than eight months, and when thie impeachment started, the man moved back to site. The committee called the police and the police arrested him. And it’s very interesting the statement the contractor made at the police station. Also, in the contractor’s statement, he indicted the former deputy governor. But that matter is still for another day.

    What was Governor’s role in the investigation?

    The governor only tried to interfere in the investigation of the House because, some time ago, His Excellency invited me that he was on his way to Abuja when he heard the information that the House was about commencing the impeachment proceedings against his former deputy governor. I told him there was nothing like that, that we are just investigating the abandonment and stoppage of work by some contractors. That didn’t amount to impeachment because the process of impeachment is a long process and it is not something you just start because you want to remove somebody. It’s a long process. At a point that this matter came to the House, and the governor called, I can tell you that no member of the House of Assembly ever thought of impeaching the former deputy governor. But the committee had started its work and invited the former deputy governor and other l directors in the Ministry of Works and there was no going back on what should be done.

     

  • I was very fond of Agbaso, says Okorocha

    I was very fond of Agbaso, says Okorocha

    …as new deputy takes oath of office

    Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, yesterday bemoaned the impeachment of his former deputy, Jude Agbaso

    He said: “It is unfortunate that Agbaso left office under the circumstance he did.”

    Okorocha described the impeached deputy governor as a young man he was very fond of stating: “I cherish the Agbaso’s family but government has to move on”.

    Speaking during the swearing-in- ceremony of the new deputy governor, Prince Eze Madumere, at the Sam Mbakwe expanded Exco Chamber, Okorocha noted providence brought Madumere to office.

    Facing Madumere, he said: “responsibility has fallen on your shoulders. You must remain committed to delivering the rescue mission agenda, and to succeed in the job of delivering the dividends of democracy to the people, there must be sacrifice.

    “To succeed, you must not think of the next election, but how to improve the lot of the people.”

    Shortly after taking the oath of office administered by the state chief judge, Benjamin Njemanze, the new deputy governor stated: “I never dreamt of becoming the deputy governor of Imo State. Circumstances have made me the deputy governor.”

    He added: “Although the circumstances that removed Agbaso from office were not pleasant, I still wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

    Restating his commitment to the rescue mission agenda of the government, Madumere, assured “as an Apostle of the rescue mission, I will remain committed to the actualisation of the vision of the state government.”

    Madumere, until his emergence after Agbaso was impeached by the Imo State House of Assembly, was the chief of staff to Governor Okorocha, a position he held for about two years Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, yesterday bemoaned the impeachment of his former deputy, Jude Agbaso.

  • Agbaso: Seven-man probe panel inaugurated

    Agbaso: Seven-man probe panel inaugurated

    CJ absent at ceremony

    Baring all odds, the Imo State Judiciary yesterday, inaugu-rated the seven-man panel constituted by the State Chief Judge, Justice Benjamin Njemanze to probe the allegations of fraud against the deputy governor, Jude Agbaso.

    Performing the inauguration on Saturday at the secretariat of the Imo Council of Ndi-Eze, Njemanze, represented by one of the State High Court Judges, Justice Goddy Anunihu, charged the members of the panel to carry out their responsibilities without fear or favour.

    He further charged them to employ the principle of justice in their duty, stressing that, “it is to ensure good governance and for the betterment of the entire Imo people”.

    In his acceptance speech, Chairman of the panel, Justice Godwin Emeka Ihekire rtd, commended the chief judge for founding them worthy to be members of the panel, assuring that they will discharge their duties honestly and creditably without fear or favour.

    Other members of the panel who were inuagurated in the brief ceremony, were James Gozie Nze, Akaonu Chigozie Mere, Vincent Onyeka, Elder Humphrey Ajolu, Cecilia Chinyere Oladimeji and Okparaku Nwarie.

    It would be recalled that the inauguration of the panel, which was scheduled to hold at the office of the Chief Judge earlier in the week, was put on hold due to some legal issues arising from the motion ex-parte filled at the Owerri Court by the deputy governor seeking restriction of the Chief judge from inaugurating the panel.

  • Agbaso loses bid to stop his impeachment

    Agbaso loses bid to stop his impeachment

    An Owerri High Court yesterday struck out a motion by embattled Imo Deputy Governor Jude Agbaso to stop the impeachment process against him, by the House of Assembly.

    The Presiding Judge, Justice F.I. Duruohaigwe, said it would be unnecessary to grant the motion, since the applicant was not challenging the impeachment.

    Agbaso had prayed the court to restrain the state legislature from proceeding with the impeachment process which began last week.

    He also prayed the court to restrain the Police from harassing him or acting upon the recommendations of the Assembly against him.

    The court, however, granted the applicant’s prayer, seeking to serve the respondents processes for the substantive suit through substituted means.

    Counsel to the applicant Patrick Ikweto (SAN), told the court that the respondent infringed on the fundamental rights of the deputy governor by investigating and indicting him in its report.

    Counsel to the respondent, Chief Akintola Adeniyi (SAN), argued that the court had no jurisdiction to make any order in the matter.

    He argued that the matter was primarily a case of impeachment, which the House of Assembly is constitutionally empowered to handle.

    He submitted that the applicant contradicted himself by joining impeachment and right infringement in his application.

    The court adjourned hearing on the substantive suit to March 27