A section of Members of the Imo State House of Assembly have kicked against the purported removal of their colleague and legislator representing Oru East State Constituency, Barr Greg Okemili, following a recommendation from the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to declare his seat vacant.
Okemili’s position was on Tuesday declared vacant following what the Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Ben Uwajumogu, said, was directive of the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justices based on an earlier decision of the High Court.
Most of the lawmakers who spoke to our reporter on the issue condemned the Speaker’s action adding that it is sheer expression of legislative rascality and excessiveness that is fast turning to Speaker Uwajumogu’s landmark in handling affairs of the House.
The lawmakers, who spoke in strict anonymity for fear of victimization since the House leadership has been converted to a tool for witch-hunt, said that the said suspension of Okemili is a personal agenda of Uwajumogu and few cohorts in APC to cow other anti-APC, lawmakers in the state Assembly into joining them the governor’s party.
According to one of the members in separate interviews to our correspondent after the speaker’s announcement at the end of Tuesday’s sitting, “Uwajumogu is allowing himself to play the fool in the hands of the executive arm when it is not supposed to be so. Besides, the Speaker’s action is in contrast to our collective agreement that nobody should be victimized because of his/her role concerning the resignation saga”
Adding his voice to the development, the Minority Leader, Mrs Ngozi Pat Ekeji who was slightly taken aback and unwilling to comment on the matter managed to express that the purported letter from the Attorney General was a personal opinion that should not be reckoned with in the affairs of the House.
The member representing Aboh Mbaise said that the AG has no business with the internal affairs and business proceedings of the House adding that his submissions to sack Okemili are no effect, “it is a nullity and cannot hold water. The action of the speaker remains a puzzle as there was no room for explanations or questions on the pronouncement since he raised the gavel immediately, to end sitting”
Meanwhile, the camp of Okemili has stated that the Imo speaker is disrespecting Supreme Court by delving into a matter that yesterday, is still a subject of deliberation within the jurisdiction of the apex court.
Speaking to some journalists in Owerri the Attorney and solicitor to Hon Okemili, Justice A. David said that his client has not been informed officially of the sack as no document has been served to him.
The counsel said that it was political gimmick as the Supreme Court would give ruling on the matter in June, 2014 and questioned why the Speaker and his cohorts would disrespect the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Justice David accused the clerk of the House of Assembly, Barr Ngozi Duru, and Speaker Uwajumogu of trying to witch-hunt his client for identifying with the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as he was seen wearing APGA regalia on Tuesday sitting at the Imo House of Assembly.
Justice David further informed that the speaker and the House Clerk were rightly and timely informed of the pending matter at the Supreme Court of Nigeria. “The Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly is assuming the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and adjudicated on a matter that was pending in the court. You know that they have been served with the Supreme Court suit with the suits number that indicates its pending at the court. Ignorance of law should never be an excuse and Speaker Uwajumogu must know that” he warned.
Moreso, the lawyer informed that the Speaker cannot use the radio announcement to sack his client as such mistake occurred in 2011 when Gov. Okorocha sacked the 27 elected chairman of Imo State LGA through radio announcement and that Justice Njemanze ruled that it is not a valid way of sacking them.
In a related development Okemili was locked out of Assembly complex Thursday by police officers that were suspected to be sent by Speaker Uwajumogu through his Media Aide, Engr Emeka Ahaneku
The police officers later created a bad scenario as they attempted to stop journalists from doing their jobs by asking them to leave the Assembly complex. A move by Trumpeta reporter to get the exact details of the police officers attempt to humiliate the journalists resulted in seizing of his hand set and a paper that he used in getting his reports. The Trumpeta reporter with other newsmen at the complex suffered humiliating experiences in the hands of gun totting policemen who threatened to shoot at them for entering the complex to discharge their duties.
Okemili on entering the complex was accosted by stern looking policemen who reportedly told him to leave the complex which he obliged and left.
