By Onyekachi Eze
There is air of disaffection brewing in the Imo State as citizens demand Government’s reaction and worried over the continued silence of the Governor, Hope Uzodinma on the Legal ban slammed on one of his core Loyalists, Barr. COC Akaolisa the former Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice.
Akaolisa was barred from Law practice by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, for an alleged Professional misconduct.
The decision was a fallout from the findings made by the LPDC, on allegations bordering on Professional misconduct.
While Imolites are said to be expressing concerns on the matter, the Governor appears undisturbed.
He has neither uttered a word to that effect nor made an official statement.
Barr. Akaolisa served the State as a Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the State under the Senator Hope Uzodinma administration. When the said allegation of misconduct came up.
Aside that, he has remained one of the die-hard supporters of Uzodinma, before, during and after the elections ,that he was conscupiously seen in Courts as one of the Counsel to the Governor.
However, all seems not rosy again, following the obvious less attention shown towards the embattled Akaolisa by his immediate boss, the Governor.
Trumpeta recalls that Akaolisa had been appointed the Attorney General while the matter with which he was banned was still in the Court before Justice Onii Egbunighe of Orlu High Court (2).
His sack from the Imo State Government Exco raised dust as many people believed he would serve in that capacity till the end of this present administration following his close relationship with the Governor.
Indications are rife that the Governor might have gotten a brief of the case in court, hence the removal of Akaolisa as the State’s Attorney General.
Suspicion was also rife that in order to play a safe game not to meddle into the Judiciary, having been a product of a Judiciary, Uzodinma decided to allow the Law Body take their decision.
According to the recommendations of the six-man Disciplinary Committee, headed by Dauda J.B. (SAN), Akaolisa went contrary to the Legal profession, and was accused to have used his position as the then Attorney General of the State to facilitate the bail of a murder suspect, who had been remanded in Prison Custody and standing trial since 2013.
It was discovered that Barr. Akaolisa was purportedly the Counsel to the Suspect, before his appointment as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the State.
Barr. Akaolisa was alleged to have used his office to introduce the matter at an Owerri High Court, presided over by Justice Ikpema, without the consent of the complainant, Chief John Akuma and without officially withdrawing or transferring the matter from Orlu Court to the one in Owerri.
Meanwhile, this Newspaper learnt that the Orsu born Legal Practitioner has allegedly filed an Appeal seeking redress from the decision of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, which banned him for five years from practicing Law in the Country.
“He has the constitutional right to Appeal. But whether the committee will rescind its verdict is another matter entirely” A Legal Expert told Trumpeta.
