Except there would be a last minute change of plan, the reinstated Chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya has perfected strategies to take over his position presently occupied by the court removed Eze Samuel Agunwa Ohiri.
Issues related to the authentic Chairman of the monarchs’ body was recently resolved by the Appeal Court sitting in Owerri, who in a declarative verdict, quashed the decision of the state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha. Justice Philomena Ekpe while declaring null and void the actions of the State Governor, asked that Ilomuanya be re-instated.
Months after the court decision, the state government is not only maintaining incriminating silence on the matter, but also continued to parade Eze Ohiri as Eze Imo, thereby leaving Ilomuanya in the cooler. Piqued by the action of the state government, Ilomuanya has devised means to reclaim his seat by heading to the law courts again to challenge the actions of Governor Okorocha and Eze Ohiri.
The Obi of Obinugwu Autonomous Community, in Orlu LGA, who is also the Chairman of the South East Council of Traditional Rulers wants the law court to jail both the state Governor and Ohiri for allegedly treating the court’s judgment and order with contempt.
In a “Notice of Consequence of Disobedience to Court Order”, Eze Ilomuanya through his Counsel, Obiora Obianwu, SAN, reminded Okorocha, Ohiri and the Imo State’s Attorney General of the extant Court of Appeal’s judgment reinstating him as Chairman of Imo State Council of Ndieze. In the Notice of Disobedience to Court Order filed on Tuesday, August 10, 2013 and endorsed by the State High Court Registrar, the trio were warned to “take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in this Court of Appeal Order, you will be guilty of contempt of Court and will be liable to be committed to prison”.
In the order of the Court of Appeal signed by a Justice of the Court, Hon Justice John Okoro and the Deputy Chief Registrar, F.C Abooh, the Court of Appeal had set aside the earlier judgment delivered on February 24, 2012 by the Imo State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Benjamin Njemanze. The Court of Appeal in upholding Eze Ilomuanya’s appeal as being meritorious, ordered that the monarch is therefore, entitled to all the relief sought in his originating summons.
The Appeal Court in setting aside the dissolution of the Imo State Council of Ndieze and removal of Eze Ilomuanya as Chairman by Governor Rochas Okorocha in his maiden broadcast on June 6, 2011, also “restrained the governor of his servants, agents or however from truncating the tenure of office of Eze Cletus Ilomuanya as a member and Chairman of Imo State Council of Ndieze until the expiration of his tenure in 2014”.
However, this judgment has attracted the resentment of Governor Okorocha and Eze Ohiri, who appear confused on how to subvert the court’s order with Ohiri clinging tenaciously on the Governor for a way out. Meanwhile, Eze Ohiri, it was authoritatively gathered, is still occupying the Secretariat of the Imo State Council of Ndieze as Chairman. Legal experts are of the view that Ohiri’s attitude is “an open affront to the Court of Appeal’s judgment and powers” which they averred, has serious consequences including committal to prison if found guilty.
Another tactics adopted by Ilomuanya is the notice of meeting extended to all traditional rulers in Imo State scheduled for Monday September 16, 2013 at the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers Secretariat, Owerri, at 10am.
According to the notice endorsed by Eze Ilomuanya, the meeting is for all recognized monarchs in the state.
