The Governor of Imo state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is said to be shopping for a replacement for his Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the state, Barr Soronnadi Njoku.
It was learnt that the Governor arrived at this decision over the number of cases his administration has lost in the courts since he assumed office.
The Governor was said to be lamenting that apart from his Governorship Election which he won at the Supreme Court, virtually all litigations involving the state went to the “opposition”.
The particular litigation whose out-come worried the Governor, a source told this Newspaper, was that between Imo Government and the Elected Chairmen, which the latter won and has since created a situation that has crippled Imo LGAs till date.
It was learnt that Okorocha had consulted his Attorney-General before embarking on the said dissolution of the councils, whose aftermath has portrayed Okorocha as a man who does not obey the rule of law, and the Governor is said to be pained by this development.
However, some top legal luminaries in the state have jumped to the defense of the Attorney-General Bar Soronnadi Njoku.
Speaking under anonymity, a well known Constitutional Lawyer in the state said that Soronnadi Njoku is not only an experienced lawyer, but also an intelligent one, pointing out that his job is to advise the Governor on legal matters and also administer the Ministry of Justice in the state, but cannot do otherwise if his Boss chooses to follow his own mind.
“For instance, when a case is “Bad”, no matter the number of SANs and caliber of Attorney-General you have, nothing good can come out of such a case” Imo Trumpeta was told.
Meanwhile, the people of Ngor Okpala LGA, where Soronnadi Njoku hails from have called on Okorocha not to use Njoku as a escape goat in his penchant in pursuing imaginary enemies, even when he knows such tasks cannot succeed.
Speaking under Ngor Okpala Youth Forum NYF, Barr Ikechukwu Irukpeme told Imo Trumpeta that Soronnadi Njoku is carrying out his job with all amount of diligence and dedication, pointing out that as Attorney-General, he is not supposed to be seen or even heard, because he is occupying a sensitive position.
It would be recalled that since the history of Imo state, Governor Okorocha is the only governor with highest number of “private” litigations against him from the citizens of Imo state, following his actions that fall short of due process.
Among these cases are Imo State Judiciary Commission Case which he lost, but yet to reinstate the members, the case with the Elected Chairmen, over the right to dissolve elected officers, which he lost also.
Some of those still pending in Court include, that of Ten thousand Job beneficiaries, that of Former Commissioners, Special Advisers and Senior Special Advisers, Okorocha vs Members of the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, Okorocha vs Local Government Chairmen and Councilors over tenure of office, Okorocha vs Emma Odor over demolition of his House in Owerri, Okorocha vs Attan Ogoh over demolition of his house in Orlu, Okorocha vs Eze Ilomuanya over sack from office, with yet again Eze Ilomuanya over alleged invasion of his private House in Owerri, with Senator Ifeanyi Ararume and INEC over 2011 supplementary election, with Amawom Owerri indigenes over Area K land, and against some individuals from Aboh Mbaise and Ngor Okpala LGAs over relocation of IMSU and others.
