Politics of intrigues has continued to dominate the battle for who controls the local government councils in the state between the Owelle Rochas Okorocha led APGA government and the elected council chairmen of the PDP stock.
The latest is that some council chairmen, (names withheld) have dumped the struggle to remain in office in place of their outstanding allowances and salaries owed them since they were forcefully thrown out of the councils in June 2011.
According to a top PDP official, the party met last week to discuss on crucial matters concerning the state of affairs at the local government level and what came at the front burner was the seeming rosy relationship the state governor is having with some of the ALGON members and the party.
A PDP source disclosed that the party leaders in the state and LGA chapter chairmen met at the party secretariat recently where it was revealed that few chairmen have jettisoned the struggle against the government and have decided to accept the “carrot” dangled at them by Governor Rochas Okorocha.
The source, who is a party stalwart disclosed that the Governor allegedly privately approached some of the affected chairmen where he made several offers if they would abandon the court case and work with his government.
The governor, it was learnt, promised to pay them outstanding salaries and make them sole administrators before the next council election.
It was further revealed that the deal has reached advanced level before the PDP got wind and summoned the chairmen to a meeting at the party secretariat where some of the suspected LGA bosses denied their involvement in the new twist except for one who said he has joined Owelle government.
Worried by the development, the PDP is said to be monitoring the activities of the chairmen with a view to ensure that scapegoats would be sanctioned appropriately. The suspected LG Chairmen are of Njaba, Ideator South, Onuimo has and Owerri West.
Meanwhile, Imo state government has been favoured in the ruling of Justice Ngozi Opara at the Owerri yesterday in the case brought against the state government by the elected local government chairmen, seeking the court to stop the government from dissolving them until they complete the months they were constitutionally removed from office by the state government.
In his ruling, Justice Ngozi Opara, who had earlier adjourned the court for the 3rd of September to rule on jurisdiction, however assume jurisdiction and went further to rule on the substantive matter stating that the court has not powers to extend tenure, and that ALGON abuse the court process by instituting their cases in two courts at a time.
Reacting, the Attorney General of Imo State Barr. S.A Njoku commended the Judge saying that “this is the worst abuse of court process ever” He maintained that no other court can change what justice Opara court has ruled because it was a justified ruling.
The counsel to, the claimants, Bar E.O. Agbo, on his own said that he was surprised on the whole issue, as he believed that what they came to the court to hear is the ruling on the preliminary motion challenging jurisdiction which was argued at the last sitting not the substantive matter. He maintained that his party did not argue on the substantive matter and therefore the ruling was clearly in error.
