By Chibuike Oparaku
The most dangerous man to be close to, is a drowning man. He usually drags you down with him. A lot of people have lost their lives to drowning men.
In Imo State today, former governor Rochas Okorocha is a typical example of a drowning man, but in his case, he’s looking for people who have run away from him, to drown with him.
That is probably why he cannot stop thinking about his former Deputy, Prince Eze Madumere MFR, and have been trying so hard to pull him into a face-to-face confrontation, even though Madumere have shown maturity by recognizing the symptoms of a drowning man, and have ignored all his shades and blackmail against him.
Former Governor of Imo State, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, commissioned a Judicial Panel of Inquiry, to look into the abuse of Imo lands under Rochas Okorocha’s tenure.
Interestingly, not one place, in the 281 pages of this reports, was the name of Prince Eze Madumere mentioned, rather, Rochas Okorocha’s name, or the name of one family member or the other, appeared in almost all the pages, with lands and property of the state, as well as individuals, listed as being converted by him and his family members.
But Rochas Okorocha is a very desperate man, and like a drowning man, he is looking for who to go down with.
He tried insulting Prince Eze Madumere in an interview he granted, but Madumere paid him no attention. Instead, Imolites lashed him thoroughly for his shamelessness, reminding him that he, was the one who was unelectable and rejected by the people.
Okorocha now changed tactics, and brought up a video of a blackmail he had tried to sell against Prince Eze Madumere last year, which had failed.
Okorocha’s handful of followers, have been circulating a video, where Prince Eze Madumere was alleged to have taken land forcefully from somebody.
Now I begin to wonder, when Ihedioha constituted the panel, for such cases to be addressed, why was this person absent?
The answer was simple. One it wasn’t even with Prince Eze Madumere he had problems with, but rather Prince Eze Madumere’s brother, but he was contracted by Okorocha, who is still very angry that Madumere kicked him and his son-in-law out of Government House, to mention Madumere’s name, by way of blackmailing him.
This land in question, was revoked by the Ikedi Ohakim regime, not even under Okorocha, and it was bought by Prince Eze Madumere’s elder brother. Put Okorocha decided that by mentioning Prince Eze Madumere’s name, will help him get a partner in his drowning.
Okorocha’s handlers have been trying to pin Okorocha’s sins on other but their master, and I ask, was it Madumere that collected the bailout funds? Who were we told, that part of that bailout money get missing in his House? Was it Madumere that told Okorocha not to give account of how he used the money till date? What about the Paris Club Refund? Was it also Madumere that collected it? How many roads did Madumere award? Did Okorocha not starve Madumere’s people of Mbieri road, just to discredit Madumere, whose rising political profit, became a thing of envy to Okorocha? Who is responsible for not paying pensioners for 8 years? Will Okorocha call Madumere as well? What happened to the over N50bn pension fund? Maybe Okorocha will tell us he was the errand boy and Madumere was the Govenror.
The Panel set up by Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha meticulously did their job, and Madumere was not found wanting, but a drowning man like Okorocha is desperately seeking for company in his misery, and is desperate to brand Madumere his partner in crime, when actually, he stole from Madumere for the four+ years he was Deputy Governor, by denying him his allocation as Deputy Governor.
Okorocha’s major partner in crime, after his wife, who probably stole more land than her husband, is Uche Nwosu.
God knows what would have happened if he had succeeded Okorocha in office. He may as well take every land in Imo State, in their land grabbing madness.
Imolites are indebted, and appreciative of Prince Eze Madumere, for standing up against Okorocha’s plot to enslave Imo State, even at his personal sacrifice, which including putting his life at risk.
Okorocha and his co-drowners, should face the music, as Uzodinma’s bulldozers gets set to demolish all their ill gotten property, and restore them to the people of Imo State who Okorocha stole from.
