Sacked Imo Council Chairmen Return To Court.

Sacked chairmen of the 27 local government councils in Imo State elected during the Rochas Okorocha administration returned to the Federal High Court on Monday to challenge their removal by the state government.

This is even as they prayed the court to restrain the Federation Account Allocation committee from further releasing of statutory local government funds to the state.

Recall that the former governor, Emeka Ihedioha had in June last year acting on the resolution of the state House of Assembly suspended the council chairmen.

But the sacked chairmen had in November 2019 filed a lawsuit to challenge what they described as the illegality of the state government.

In the suit, FHC/OW/CS/136/2019, counsel to the plaintiffs, Oba Maduabuchi (SAN) insisted that the suspended council officials won election lawfully, and were sworn in lawfully but were unlawfully removed.

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The counsel said they included the FAAC in the suite so as to compel the court to stop them from further funding Imo local government areas because, according to him, it was unlawful to give local government allocations to appointed persons.

Maduabuchi said: “We’re here to find out whether the governor and government of Imo State are above the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is because the governor has no right to suspend elected chairmen. Rochas Okorocha tried it but the courts including the Supreme Court told him he doesn’t have the right to suspend them. That is the basic law today.”

He told the court that the matter was the originating summons filed on November 7th, 2019 duly served on all parties but transferred to Owerri from Abuja, adding that he was ready to take on the matter despite being served preliminary objections in the court by the defense counsel.

However, Bethel Amaghereonu, the state counsel to the State government, who had earlier served the counsel to the plaintiffs with preliminary objections in the court, requested for more time to serve other parties involved in the matter.

Also, counsel to the AGF, A.A. Nuhu requested for more time to enable him file a counter-affidavit and a written address.

The presiding judge, Justice Tijani Garba Ringim, therefore, adjourned the matter to Thursday, February 27 to enable the parties to adequately file the necessary documents.