Suspended Local Government Areas chairmen in Imo state have flayed the state governor, Hope Uzodinma, for appointing interim chairmen for the 27 LGAs of the state.
The embattled chairmen said that it was wrong for the governor to had overlooked the law in appointing Interim chairmen for the LGAs.
They contended that as a product of the law, the governor ought to have respected the supreme court judgment which ruled that governors had no right to sack elected Local Government chairmen in Nigeria.
The leader of the embattled chairmen, Emeka Osuorji, told The PUNCH on Friday , that they would use legal means to challenge the decision of the governor to appoint Interim chairmen in place of elected LGAs chairmen.
He said “the ALGON Imo State chapter has received with dismay, shock and consternation the announcement of Transition Committee Chairmen in the 27 Local Government Councils of Imo State by His Excellency Senator Hope Uzodinma
” Our surprise only stems from the fact that we had thought that the Governor His Excellency Hope Uzodinma would have attempted to do things differently being a product of law and justice.
“However, ALGON Imo State chapter wishes to inform the good people of Imo State as follows;
” That We condemn the illegal appointment of Transition Committee Chairmen in Imo State in its entirety as it is a legal aberration and judicial blunder to any known law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“That the Governor, His Excellency Hope Uzodinma lacks moral and administrative jurisdiction to ignore the position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Mohamadu Buhari (GCFR) as conveyed to the Governor of Imo State through the Chief law officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria- Abubakar Malami (SAN) the attorney General and Minister of Justice same day the Supreme court declared him the Governor of Imo State wherein the Governor was informed that neither the State Governor nor the State Houses of Assembly has the powers to sack elected officials of the Local Governments and was consequently expressly instructed to reinstate the hitherto suspended Council Chairmen of Imo State.
“That being members of the same political party- the All Progressives Congress (APC) it is very harsh for the Governor to have disengaged his party men for no known offences committed.
” That the Governor having declared a total lockdown in Imo State and going ahead with the announcement and swearing in of the Transition Committee Chairmen is not in line with leadership best practices.
“That the Governor having made it clear in his maiden broadcast to the people of Imo State and in a meeting with all the Executive Chairmen of Imo State on Friday 17th January 2020 that he would not consider the use of Transition Committee hence it is illegal and turned around to constitute the same structure really leaves much to be pondered upon.
“That while pledging our unalloyed loyalty to our great party (APC), ALGON Imo State is determined more than ever before to use every legal means to reclaim the mandate given to them through a validly conducted Local Government elections of 25th August 2018.”
