Champagne Drinking Governor: Adeyemi Must Apologise - Prof. Ibe

Chancellor of Gregory University Uturu, Prof Gregory Ibe gave this charge while reacting to an online news publication that reported a statement credited to Senator Adeyemi, in which he allegedly referred to the Governor of Abia state as a 'champagne drinking Governor' and also erroneously asserted that 'Abia is governed by drunkards'.

According to Prof Ibe," I have read with utter dismay comments credited to Chief Smart Adeyemi, who while contributing to discussions on the hallowed chambers of Nigeria's senate, cast aspersions on my Governor Dr Okezie Ikpeazu by labelling him a champagne drinking Governor and added pepper to injury by describing my Abia as a state governed by drunkards.While taking exceptions to these wild, frivolous and obviously libellous remarks, I think it smacks of nothing but juvenile delinquency by a misguided adult for Senator Adeyemi to attempt to convert Nigeria's highest legislative chamber into a road side shack where unrelated and uncoordinated old ladies gossip will be accepted as legal tender for yet another plate of peppersoup".

Speaking further Prof Ibe wondered how a one time national President of Nigeria Union of Journalists could exhibit disorientation, obtuseness, balminess and feeblemindedness in the face of a very serious matter of urgent national importance, enjoining the leadership of the Senate to restore the confidence of the people on the parliament by appropriately reprimanding the erring member.

In his words,"Being a private citizen I do the impetus to hold brief for the government of Abia state, however I am aware of the level of public-private collaboration in God's own State that has manifested in the soaring fortune of business and enterprise, which recently gave rise to the emergence of our state as the third destination of choice for direct foreign investment in Nigeria. A state governed by drunkards cannot achieve this feat. I am surprised that a man who has been one time national President of Nigeria Union of Journalists before becoming a ranking senator can manifest such high level of disorientation, obtuseness, balminess and feeblemindedness,especially when crucial issues are being debated. Unfortunately, such shameful brazen act of public disgrace lack the capacity to undo the amount of hard work performed by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in particular and other Abia faithfuls in general, which continue to draw the likes of Senator Adeyemi to our Abia born artisans, who have the God-given task of dressing them up in our 'made in Abia' senator suits,belts and shoes, like the set he wore on the day of his despicable charade.

Subsequently, while urging the leadership of the Senate to restore our confidence in the quality of debates on the floor of the parliament, I want to call on Chief Smart Adeyemi to save his face by tendering unreserved apology to our Governor and the good people of Abia state, for making those unwise, unguarded and unwarranted comments, in order to douse the high tension currently being generated by the matter ",he concluded.
ProGIMA-Prof Gregory Ibe Media Associates.