The seeming battle for controlling the local governments in the state is entering an endless state as the state government and the embattled chairmen and councilors again returned to the law courts to determine who is in charge in the councils.
It would be recalled that moment after the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri under Justice Inuwa Abba Aji ruled that the decision of Governor Rochas Okorocha to sack elected council chairmen and councilors during his maiden state broadcast was wrong and therefore re-instated them back to office. Angered by the ruling, the Okorocha-led government went to Appeal Court for Stay of Execution.
At the resumed hearing of the matter at the Appeal Court presided over by the same Justice Abba-Aji, the matter was subsequently struck out. Prior to the decision of the court, the state government had requested to withdraw the matter stating that their appeal for stay of execution has been overtaken by events. The state government intention to withdraw the matter was not challenged by the counsel to the chairmen and councilors represented by Livy Uzoukwu, SAN.
Ruling on the matter, the presiding judge therefore struck the matter out which the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Barr, Soronnadi Njoku agreed in the affirmative and said in the court “as the Court pleases”
In the same vein, the Appeal Court case where the Chairmen and Councilors are challenging the decision of Justice Ngozi Opara of Owerri High Court was however adjourned to January next year for hearing as the counsel involved in the matter were not properly briefed and served.
Meanwhile, councilors in Njaba legislature have disbanded all task forces recently established by the Director of Administration and General Services, DAGS.
Acting based on the Order of Mandamus on the retention of the status quo given in favour of the democratically elected Chairmen and Councilors of the 27 LGAs issued by a Federal high Court in Abuja and consequent upon the arbitrary arrogation of executive and legislative powers by the DAGS by appointing/reconstituting a Revenue Task force for the collection of the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, on behalf of Njaba, the task force has disbanded.
The Nze Joshua Akagbusim led legislative council therefore resolved to dissolve all Task Forces with immediate effect adding that all vehicles (serviceable and unserviceable) in the possession of all former Transition Committee Members, political Appointees and all management/administrative staff of Njaba Local government Area be handed over the Executive Chairman of the Council before the end of October
According to the councilors, the Executive Chairman of Njaba council was urged to take immediate and necessary actions to appoint various task forces and forward such names for confirmation.
