Madumere: I was Lucky I Survived Impeachment Onslaught

For several years, he was a strong ally of former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha. From his Chief of Staff in 2011, he was elevated to the position of Deputy Governor when a controversial impeachment was carried out against Okorocha’s first deputy, Jude Agbaso. Interestingly, he almost lost the seat but survived all the political shenanigans thrown at him by the same Okorocha, who called for his impeachment again just a few months to the 2019 general election. The courts saved him. Years after serving and surviving the onslaught, Prince Eze Madumere is still fighting to collect his backlog of salaries and allowances from the state government. While making a case for stronger roles for Deputy Governors, he tells Stanley Nkwazema that he is not done with politics

You marked your birthday recently; do you feel fulfilled?

I feel great and I owe God all the gratitude because without Him, I am nothing.

I have looked back and taken time to appreciate how far He has led me. I give Him all the glory because if one critically evaluates some of the things he has passed through, you will realise I had no chance as a human being. Again, I have always been content with whatever God has given me at every point in time.

I will say that I feel fulfilled because I live and I am as healthy as anyone could ever wish to be. Interestingly, God has also used me to accomplish a number of things. My children are all doing well. At every point in my life, I have always lived within my space and above board too. And most importantly, when I had some opportunities, what did I do with it? I believe God used me to achieve certain things for humanity.

You left government as the Deputy Governor of Imo State, how do you feel now as a private citizen?

I feel good. Yes, there is nothing as good as a good name. I am a free citizen and I walk freely. When I want to sleep, I sleep with my two eyes closed because I am not worried about who comes to the door looking for me for explanations. What is important is the grace of waking every day and finding a way to contribute to society. Sometimes, your experience could be shared with other leaders to help resolve some challenges which are normal.

Of course, I am not retired from politics but we prefer to keep it cool. The real meaning of politics should humble anyone because it is a selfless and thankless service. As a compassionate politician, service and struggle to bring about development to your people is vital to bringing about development and uplifting people’s standard of living.

Are you vying for any elective post in 2023?

I keep that to myself. However, be rest assured that I shall be vying for an elective post. I am yet to see the Nigerian dream. By God’s grace, I shall achieve it by what I shall achieve in both human capital development and development of our country. In the nick of time, our people will be addressed and you too will know.

What sort of challenges did you face while in office and the high points within the period in question?

The first challenge I faced as someone who acted as the midwife on the emergence of our government, I took it as a challenge to ensure that the government succeeded. As the then Chief of Staff, I worked round the clock to ensure that areas where we couldn’t get it right were managed.

To the glory of God, I achieved a number of things successfully.

The second challenge was being in power but not being in power. As a Deputy Governor, Nigeria’s constitution renders you dormant except whatever the governor considers to leave for you to handle. Except the statutory position of being the Chairman of the Boundary Commission, every other thing is at the discretion of the governor. Even as Chairman of the boundary commission, you may not be funded. So, these are fundamental challenges we have in the polity.

The challenge was what to do to help even your immediate Constituency who are suffering because of impassable road networks. Again, our people do not know what is possible in any position in government. The moment you are in government; the feeling is that you have it all. Of course, I had to stoop to achieve the little I did, especially to the loving people of Mbaitoli. Apart from the link roads from Okigwe road through Obazu, my Community, Achi to Ubomiri then linking you to Orlu road; the same with link road starting from Orlu Road express to Orodo then towards Ogwa, some efforts were made from Orlu Road to Ifakala then towards Ogbaku but not completed. The high point was using my office to reconcile warring communities, and giving hope to communities that were relegated to the background. God used me to give them their voice.

Again, I attracted some projects to the State. Among them are Rural Access and Mobility Projects (RAMP) worth over $60 million with over 400 kilometers of Roads and 20 River crossings.

The same way I attracted NEWMAP that has helped in management of erosion sites and other ecological concerns.

I brought stability in oil rich communities and insisted that the right things were done and all MoU signed with communities were kept to the letter.

I also made my mark by ensuring that people had their way because they are the sovereign. This is democracy. One of the most dangerous things in democracy is that the majority may be wrong but because they are more in number, you allow them to have their ways. Interestingly, they will still be the ones to raise alarm for a repeal when the problem arises from what they yearned for.

In Democracy, do not become Eze Onye agawalam.( a man who knows it all) .When you try to push your idea to the people and they reject it, please rescind that decision. Those were the unseen roles I played to ensure there was stability in the system.

More so, I played a strategic role in the formation of today’s government and I have no regret championing that.

That’s the most I can say for now. What is important is looking ahead.

What were you doing before your appointment as the Deputy Governor of the state?

I got involved in politics and governance, I joined in the struggle to get power so as to plough some of the ideas we had into the polity and help our people. Evaluating what transpired is a story for another day. Before politics, I was in Corporate America for close to two decades. I did well for myself to the glory of God. I was also the Manufacturer’s representative in Nigeria and the West Africa sub-region. So, I was also into international trade.

Beyond that, I am a management consultant, administrator and negotiator. I have used these skills to create stability in some corporate outfits, including families. I also brought this to bear while resolving crises and restiveness in oil bearing communities in Imo State, including managing Ezeship tussles in the communities.

I have also not done badly in real estate, which I am still into till date.

The then Governor Okorocha called for your impeachment months before the end of his second term in office. Were you taken aback?

I thought I could have been spared this past. It’s already in history. The issue of impeachment onslaught didn’t come as a surprise. As a strategist, I should read situations and preempt the next step and of course other options at your disposal. The last was the challenge of allowing Imo people to have their way politically and walking the rope of political onslaught. You are aware that there was a serious effort to have me removed from office as a Deputy Governor but the God I serve, Imo people and Nigerians at large said no to that landmine. Beyond that, I was marked for murder but I survived, not by my power but God shielded me from all that. I was starved of funds, among other wickedness, to break me. God gave me the heart and grit to withstand such blows. It’s history. They never succeeded.

I want to use this opportunity to thank Nigerians who volunteered to fight my battle. You all stood by me. The Media, Legal luminaries, the youths, activists. I cannot end without mentioning the role of Mr. President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the lawyers who because of love they have for me obtained chains of Court Orders without prompting, I have not forgotten and will never forget. Above all, I have fearless and brave Judges, one of them is Justice Ben Iheka who amid all pressure did not give a hoot as his ruling proved that our judiciary remains the last hope of common man.

You have been battling to collect the backlog of your salaries and allowances running into billions of Naira apparently withheld by the then administration of Okorocha. Why have you not been paid all your entitlements?

I would have chosen to be silent on this but for the records, I have not received a dime. I say so because most people have accused me of having been paid part sum or even all the sum.

I know you have been shuttling between the courts in Abuja to get paid? Can you throw more light on the moves to settle the issue with the present Government of Senator Hope Uzodimma? Is there any hope in sight?

Who told you that? No comment please. I don’t think shuttling to Abuja over that is correct. However, I know that the governor is managing a lot of challenges. I trust he understands and I believe he will act. There are challenges and the case is still in Court. There are two cases to that effect. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the cases and again, the sacking of the Imo state cabinet also contributed to the delay by the present government of Senator Hope Uzodimma.

What really contributed to the sudden change of attitude towards you by Okorocha, having associated with him years before he became Governor of Imo State in 2011? What actually went wrong?

I have put that behind me. What I want people to know is that humans are no God and perfection is almost unattainable especially when it comes to power and money. Let’s leave that. I am still alive to tell the story. I don’t want to dwell on that because I have moved forward. But I learnt lessons.

No doubt Imo State and indeed Owerri that used to be a reference point of peace suddenly turned into a theatre of absurdity. What is your take on the violence characterised by killings and attacks on security agencies by ‘unknown gunmen’?

I have condemned this publicly. Attacking security formations in the state is a great disservice to our people because we end up exposing everyone to danger and hoodlums will surely take advantage of the trend.

It is condemnable. What is important is that normalcy has been restored to the state. I believe that leaders will move in to engage with the people. We must engage our youths and work with the traditional rulers to get to the grassroots. However, I believe that some bad eggs took advantage of the dicey situation in the system to unleash mayhem in the polity.

How would you assess Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration so far?

That is why it is said that every leader emerges for a purpose and God designs such because you may think you have it all but the whole changes, that is the God factor. Looking at how he came in; he has done well and could do better. The quality is what I admire. The recent empowerment move must be commended. Some felt he just gave out money. No. These youths had been trained in entrepreneurial skills before the stage of backing it up with some funds. This is to help young people’s businesses.

He is also reaching out to various communities, sections and every zone. In the area of roads, he is doing a great job. The Orlu Road is seriously a work in progress. The same thing with Owerri Okigwe Expressway. Owerri city is breathing some fresh air with quality roads. Also bear in mind that this is the rainy season. It affects construction and by the time these projects are completed, the city would have received an appreciable facelift. He is also doing a lot to stabilize the state and get the economy back on track.

Would you say that you now spend more time with your family?

Not really. My wife is always by my side. I share this responsibility with her. She is always there to cushion the effect of my absence when I was deeply involved in politics. I made out time for my family because I opened up a channel of communication. I speak to my children everyday even as they are getting out of university. My daughter just graduated recently but decided to go further in her chosen career path. My son will also graduate this year by God’s grace. I may not have always been with them but at least I make an effort to be with them so as to handle some things physically. The only problem we had was at the peak of the pandemic. One could not easily move as most airspace was shut for people. I don’t joke with my family.