Group Protests Impeachment Plot Against Elechi

Over 2,000 concerned citi
zens of Ebonyi State on Monday staged a peaceful protest against the impeachment plot of the state Governor, Chief Martin  Elechi, in Abakaliki, the state capital.
The lawmakers had last Friday passed an impeachment notice on the governor
over alleged gross misconduct, fraud and breach of the constitution. Our correspondent gathered that since the notice was passed, there had been tension in the state with divided opinions on the action of the lawmakers, coupled with the accusations and counter-accusations between Elechi and his deputy and the
Peoples Democratic Party (POP) governorship candidate, Dave Umahi, over the crisis in the state.
The protesters, who converged on the state township stadium as early as 8a.m. disrupted human and vehicular movement with heavy security personnel  positioned at strategic places to forestall any break down of law and order.
However, a new twist arose when the Divine Mandate Campaign Organisation of Umahi accused the state government of mobilising supporters to stage a protest  against the visit of the wife of the president, Mrs. Patience Jonathan at the weekend.
The Chairman of the Media, Research and Strategic Team of the organisation, Senator Emma Onwe, informed the first lady that the good people of the state  were not in any way swayed or intimidated by the action of “the governor who  hides under the Labour Party (LP) to create crisis and disrupt the visit of the first lady to the state.”
He said: “The attempt to prevent the visit of the first lady by the state government  has been rejected by Ebonyians.”
However, the governor’s supporters, who are mainly members of the  opposition LP were received at cabinet office in the Government House by the  Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Chief Boniface Chima, and
Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Tim Odaah, among others.
Addressing the protesters, Odaah urged the state Commissioner of Police to stop the fire burning in the state because some distractors, manipulating the Speaker  of the State House of Assembly, ChukwumaNwazuku, want to take the governor’s seat by force even with less than 100 days to stay in office.
The commissioner promised the unwavering commitment of the people of the state to the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, asking the president to  be wary of those pretending to be working for him, as they are destroying him.
According to him, “Elechi is an achiever. When he has less than 1 00 days to wave good bye they want to take the seat by force. I want to serve this message to the president, Ebonyi likes him and he should note the predators because those pretending to be working for him are destabilising him. They are causing distractions and creating problems.”
The spokesman of the youths, Mr. Leonard Igboke, warned against the impeachment which he said might spark off violence if allowed to happen especially at this critical period when the governor has less than nine weeks to vacate office.
Igboke noted that the impeachment would amount to over heating the polity which is already charged.
More facts have emerged on how Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji, was disgraced and booed in the commercial city of Aba during the burial of the pioneer Catholic Bishop ofthe Aba  Diocese, Most Rev. Vincent Valentine Ezeonyia, last Fr