By Onyinyechi Amakaulo
In a bid to properly execute their plans, the Rt Hon Acho Ihim led Members of the Imo State House of Assembly surprisingly returned to the chambers for what they tagged Special Sitting, on Monday.
Our correspondent who was at the complex and monitored proceedings during the emergency Plenary Session discovered that the lawmakers not only ignored the court order against their continued execution of the Impeachment of the Deputy Governor, but also kept mute about the ruling of the Abuja High Court.
It would be recalled that angered by what is going on in the Assembly complex where five lawmakers have been suspended and there is a serious push to remove the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, a citizen of the state went to court in Abuja to challenge the action of the lawmakers.
The action of the lawmakers was on the move until an Abuja High Court intervened and acted on a Motion ex-parte filed on 03/07/2018 by one Stanley Okwara seeking an Order of the Court restraining the Speaker, and the Chief Judge from initiating and exercising any action with a view to removing the governor or the Deputy Governor of Imo State without the suspended four lawmakers.
Using 16 paragraphs affidavit to support his claims, the trial judge who said that while he is cautioned not to take orders sought in the motion ex-parte so as not to “frustrate the smooth running of the Imo State House of Assembly or restraining the Honourable Chief Judge of Imo State from exercising his constitutional duties” the prayers were granted and applicant to serve the processes in the suit 1st to 6th (including the Speaker and Chief Judge) through substituted means.
The judge also ruled that parties maintain the Status Quo pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice so as not to destroy the res in the motion of notice.
The case was adjourned to November 27, 2018 for Hearing.
Trumpeta noticed on the floor of the House that the Majority Leader, Hon Lugard Osuji representing Owerri Municipal moved a motion citing Section 188 /7of the Nigeria Constitution as amended stating the process to carry out impeachment processes.
The House further states that the constitution will help them do the needful.
The Speaker further instructed the Clerk of the House to do a newspaper publications both in state and national levels as well as radio announcements and pest copy of the letter in the office of the Deputy Governor to avoid not complying with the authority of the House.
Speaker lhim also informed the Chief Judge of the State to carry out his investigation based on the committee set up early.
The house do adjourned to 28th of July 2018. This newspaper noticed that while proceedings were on, on mention was made about the Court Case.
Meanwhile, in a statement, a group has decried the action of the House. The statement reads; “The Imo State All Progressives Congress (APC) Stakeholders Forum wishes to thank the good people of Imo state for their resilience and steadfastness in standing up to the latest of Governor Rochas Okorocha’s perfidy against our collective integrity. The Forum salutes every well meaning citizen of the state who, through one medium or the other, has stood behind it in the fight against the governor’s plan to turn the state into a jungle of irrationality and brigandage, the latest of which is the planned impeachment of the deputy governor of the state, His Excellency, Prince Eze Madumere.
“The Forum wishes to assure the good people of the state that it will not relent in its efforts at ensuring that Governor Okorocha does not succeed in his grand plan to remain in office after serving his constitutionally permissible eight years, by imposing a member of his family, Mr. Uche Nwosu, on the state as the next governor.
“As the peace loving and law-abiding people of the state must have learnt, a court of competent jurisdiction has halted the planned impeachment of Prince Eze Madumere, pending the outcome of a motion on notice by a concerned citizen of the state; and that the hearing of the motion has been fixed for November 28, 2018. The court, an Abuja federal high court, also gave an order that the status quo remains pending the determination of the case.
“The Forum, however, has it on good authority that His Excellency, Governor Rochas Okorocha has directed the leadership of the Imo State House of Assembly to ignore the court order and proceed with the impeachment process. According to information from government circles, the governor assured the legislators that he is in a position to shield them from getting punished for disobeying the court order”.
