Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu, has rubbished claims in some quarters that other members of the state legislature are plotting his removal over the choice of estwhile Chief of Staff to the Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, as the new Deputy Governor following the recent impeachment of the former deputy, Sir Jude Agbaso.

Uwajumogu in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Hon. Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha, said there was no trh whatsoever in a report on the issue pubished last Saturday by the Lagos-based Nation newspaper.

Iwuoha said while recting to the story entitled “Imo lawmakers move against speaker over new deputy governor”: “The attention of the Imo State House of Assembly has been drawn to a publication in The Nation newspaper edition of Saturday 6th April, 2013, with the above headline on page 8.

“Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have considered it necessary reacting but judging from the fact that the publication in question was intended to embarrass the Speaker of Imo house of Assembly (Rt. Hon. Benjamin Chukwuemeka Uwajumogu) and put a scar on the integrity and credibility of the Assembly, I therefore deem it expedient to put the record straight so that the public will continue to have confidence on the ability of the speaker to drive the Assembly to its destination.

“In the first place, the Imo State House of Assembly has a good working relationship with The Nation Newspaper. One therefore wonders why their state correspondent didn’t crosscheck his facts before filling his report. This is very unfortunate.

“Nevertheless, I want to state that there is no truth in the publication. Imo lawmakers have not moved (did not move and do not intend to move) against the speaker, Rt. Hon Benjamin Uwajumogu, more especially on the choice of the New Deputy Governor, His Excellency Prince Eze Madumere.

“There was no agreement between the Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and the leadership of the Assembly to choose a new Deputy Governor from amongst the lawmakers.

“The former Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso, was impeached based on available evidence against him before the House. He was not impeached based on any agreement to replace him with a serving lawmaker.

“The choice of who becomes the Deputy Governor of Imo State is the prerogative of the executive and not the Assembly.

“As Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu continues to pilot the affairs of the Imo State House of Assembly with the overwhelming support of his colleagues, the public is advised to discountenance the publication.”

•Photo: Imo Speaker Uwajumogu.