By ohanele casca
In what looks like an indictment on the Imo State Government, a Professor of law in Imo State University, Prof Uchefula Ugonna Chukwumaeze has said that the society can do away with a state government but can not do without the local government system.
The Njaba born academic and legal luminary made this revelation while delivering a lecture titled. Administrative Injustice and Democracy Organized by the public complaints commission, PCC, the OMBUDSMAN, Imo State held at Rock-view Hotel Owerri on Thursday 12th December 2013.
Prof Chukwumaeze challenged the Imo OMBUDSMAN for not doing enough to challenge the abandoned projects syndrome in government and the destruction of people’s properties by the government in the name of embarking on construction of roads and round about without compensation, which the erudite scholar said is the high point of executive recklessness.
He called on the masses to know their rights and know that the public complaints commission is open to the public for complaints bothering on injustice and other public officer’s recklessness in the line of their duty.
In another lecture delivered by the former principal secretary to the former Deputy Governor of Imo State. Lady Ada Okwuonu,
Nze Chukwuma Nwachukwu titled Administrative Injustice and Democracy: search for the missing link, he noted that the hijack of the job of career public servants by the executive arm of government headed by the governor or president, have been one of the reasons for administrative injustice in public service.
He summed that for there to be administrative justice in public service, there should be equitable treatment of the work force. He also noted that rule of law and due process will ensure maintenance of democratic ideals stressing that the penchant by political office holders to jettison the rules and regulations can only breed inequity and injustice in the system. Earlier, the chairman of the occasion, the former Chief Justice of Imo State, Sir Onumajulu had commended the Public Complaints Commission for organizing the sensitization lecture stressing that the public should always run to the commission to notify them on the wrong doings of those in authority is it in government or private sector.
The Governor of Imo State, Owelle Okorocha represented by Hon Peter Ohagwa, SA on Peace/Conflict Resolution, noted that Imo State government is happy with the PCC and assured them that government will continue to collaborate with PCC to ensure peace in the grassroots.
Speaking the Imo State Federal commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission, Barr Ambrose Ugbaja thanked the people for attending the event stating that for more than 13 years, the PCC has been in coma but added that within the very short time of its activation since his appointment as its head in Imo, the commission has handled about 1422 cases out of which 972 have been resolved while 450 is still pending stressing that the bulk of the complaints by the people were against government which necessitated the choice of the public lecture topic. He therefore called on all to approach the commission for their complaints.
The high point of the occasion was the unveiling of the commission’s in house magazine;- The Advocate, which was performed by Mr Felix Chukwu Chairman, FRSC board.
The event had in attendance dignitaries which include, the Chief Commissioner PCC represented by Hon Adewumi, MNI, Dr Tim Ihebumadu who represented the Deputy Speaker, House of Reps members of the academic, politicians among others.
Barr AU Ugboaja Hon Comm. Public Complaint Commission (2nd left), Justice George Uloko (3rd left) and other top dignitaries at the public lecture organized by the commission in Owerri recently
