By Praise Chinecherem
A 79-year old businessman, Nze Timothy Umenzekwe has raised the alarm over what he termed “serial involvement in criminalities, professional misconducts and desecration of ethics” by member representing Onitsha South Local government Area of Anambra State in the state House of Assembly, Jude Umennajiego.
The septuagenarian, in separate petitions to leaderships of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Public Complaint Commission (PCC) and Labour Party (LP) made available to reporters, urged the establishments to checkmate the lawmaker’s excesses and ensure disciplinary actions were taken against him.
Addressing reporters in Umuchu, Aguata Local Government of the state, Umenzekwe accused Umennajiego, a lawyer, of recruiting some armed criminals to demolish his properties and that of one Mrs Joanah Umenzekwe, a widow at Awarasi village, Uga.
He further alleged that the lawmaker saw his recent electoral victory as opportunity to go after his perceived and imaginary enemies instead of taking up his legislative responsibility of political representation.
The petition to PCC partly read, “The character and conducts so far manifested by Umennajiego are sadly unbecoming of a legal practitioner and public servant and must not be encouraged hence this complaint.
“Unfortunately, Umennajiego has met all the conditions precedents required for debarring of a legal practitioner from further practicing in Nigeria and suspension of a public servantโฆ”
In a sharp reaction, Umennajiego described the petitions as baseless targeted at tarnishing his political career, urging Umenzekwe to rather embrace peace and ensure justice was served to his entire kindred.
He said his grouse with Umenzekwe was his decision to offer legal aid towards recovery of his brothers’ inheritance, a move the petitioner saw as stumbling block to acquiring the inheritance of eleven brothers.
He said, “He has written several petitions against me, all of which he lost because they are baseless. He also felt engaging the media would tarnish my image and political career.
“He thinks he is the God that made me and can destroy me. But I tell you, my mandate is not man-made. Only God can destroy me, and he doesn’t want to do that.
“There’s need for us to have peace in our place, but not the peace of Jonah in the fish belly. Let Nze Tutus, at his age, give peace a chance. The legacy he is living is not worthy of his family.
“I have no personal interest except to ensure that justice is meted to everyone and given his inheritance. That’s all I’m asking. Aside this, I’m a very peaceful person.”
