Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State on Monday described Senator Smart Adeyemi as a mad man.
TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the governor was reacting to a statement credited to Senator Smart Adeyemi (APC-Kogi West) calling him a ‘drunkard’ on the floor of the Senate last Tuesday.
TNG reports that while contributing to a debate at the Senate, Adeyemi steered reaction in the senate over his comment describing Governor Ikpeazu as a “champagne drinking man”.
Adeyemi while speaking on a motion on Safe School Initiative in Nigeria said Abia State peope are ‘unfortunate’ and governed by “drunkards”.
He said: “Despite that, some governors are doing their best, we are lucky to have a governor who has taken the issue of security as a serious priority.”
“We are bordered by nine states, but we had an experience of the unfortunate incidents that are happening in neighbouring states.”
“Some governors are committed to the protection of their people. In my state, the governor awarded contracts for the renovations of schools and provides security services to them.”
“In some states where we have highly intelligent people, highly educated people, very enterprising people, like Abia, they are governed by drunkards. The governor of Abia is a champagne drinking man.”
“Abia people are impoverished more than ever before. Abia people are unfortunate.”
While reacting to the comment which has sparked controversies, Ikpeazu who spoke as special guest of honour during the unveiling of a book written by the Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, titled: “Made in Aba” noted that there was no need to begrudge a mad man.
The governor quoted the evergreen words of Professor Chinua Achebe who famously admonished that if a mad man picks the clothes of a man taking his bath and runs away, if the man runs after the mad man, nobody will know who is mad.”
Ikpeazu told the audience that he does not drink nor does he begrudge those who drink.