The contest for who is the authentic chairman of Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers may have been settled with the Imo State Government under Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha losing another chance to stop Eze Cletus Ilomuanya from being reinstated. An Appeal Court holding in Owerri on Tuesday unanimously rejected an application to stay its judgment delivered on July 5, 2013 reinstating Ilomuanya.
Since the state government went on Appeal to stop the enforcement of the July 5, 2003 judgment delivered by Florence Ekpe of the same Appeal Court, Eze Ohiri who was appointed by Okorocha continued to be in office and act as chairman of Ndi Eze Imo pending the determination of the suit.
With Tuesday’s outcome of the Appeal Court ruling, any attempt of Ohiri to continue to act in the office amounts to contempt of court and liable to a jail sentence.
Since the July 5, 2013 court ruling, Ilomuanya is yet to resume as chairman of Ndi Eze Imo following refusal on the part of the government to allow him resume office. The last option which could not be facilitated by the Appeal Court further exposes the monarch to jail risk if he makes further attempt to act as chairman of Ndi Eze Imo.
Delivering his judgment on the matter the presiding judge, Justice Raphael Agbo noted that the court was convinced and satisfied with the arguments of Eze Ilomuanya’s counsel Obiora Obianwu SAN represented by Ogbonna Ajuzie, stressing that the three-man panel of justices were unanimous in their decision that the application be struck out.
