The Speaker Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Chinedum Orji has emphasized that contrary to insinuations of those who want to cause problem between him and the state Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, he enjoys cordial working relationship with him.
The Speaker made this known in an interview with newsmen in Umuahia.
While describing Ikpeazu as a friend, he dismissed allegations that there is mutual suspicion between him and Ikpeazu, insisting that such suspicion exists in the mind of those who suspect it.
In whether he was made Speaker of the State Assembly to impeach Ikpeazu and take over as the Governor, the Speaker answered, “What you should ask them is what would be the impeachable offence? If you want to impeach somebody, the person must have committed an impeachable offence.
“Can those people tell me what the impeachable offence is? Is the Governor of the state not doing his job and besides, how can you betray a man that gave you the job? That is why I am happy with the Governor, a lot of insinuations have been made and many things said to cause problems between him and I, but he has resisted them because he knows my mind.
“He knows I mean well for him. I don’t blame those that started this propaganda. They started it because they do not know the depth of the relationship that exists between me and His Excellency, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu. If they know, then they would not waste their time giving themselves high blood pressure and talking about impeachment all the time.
“Let me ask you, so I have now become so powerful that the governor does not have his people in the Assembly representing him? He doesn’t have any other person in the House so that I will just come to the House and railroad an impeachment process in the House; not minding other colleagues, the principal officers and Leader of the House who is a brother of the governor? How can I achieve that?”.
He continued, “The Governor has been doing his job very well. He performs his functions as the governor of the state and I do not know the excuse that anybody will wake up tomorrow to say he wants to impeach him. Of course, you know that Abians will not be clapping for you.
“His brothers and sisters from Ngwa that have never been governor before will also be clapping for me? The security agencies and most importantly, my colleagues of Ngwa extraction and even of other extractions that believe in him and his cause will also be clapping for me in the House? It is ridiculous, wicked and it is only God that knows the heart of man but that issue does not arise.
“Those that go to Abuja to paint me black that my intention is to impeach the Governor and after impeaching the Governor I will also stay here and impeach the Deputy Governor in a state like Abia are lazy people. I don’t know the type of power and influence that is ascribed to me but I thank them for granting me such privilege of having such imaginary powers to be able to do some of these things which they say I plan to do. Those people instigating and spreading these rumours will be the first to betray this governor when the chips are down. My father experienced it, his own will not be different” he said.
