NEWS ITEM: IMO LGA CHAIRMEN BATTLE OKOROCHA AGAIN

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A new dimension has opened in the lingering face off between the sacked 27 Local Government Chairmen and the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.

This time, the basis of the conflict is monies allegedly accrued to the State in the mould of monthly allocations which the Council Chairmen claim runs into several billions of naira.

Emele...Imo ALGON Chairperson

According to Enyinnaya Onuegbu, Secretary of Association of Local Government Chairmen (ALGON), Imo State chapter, an umbrella body of the Chairmen, they are displeased with the situation in the Local Councils and this prompted their resolve to petition the Governor to the Presidency.

The face off is the latest phase in ongoing political and legal war between Governor Okorocha and the sacked LGA Chairmen who are all members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Okorocha is of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

The genesis of the crisis began in June 2011, barely a month Okorocha was sworn in as Imo State Governor. He announced on State Television the sack of the 27 Local Government Chairmen who were democratically elected. Okorocha’s action was interpreted by legal pundits to be illegal as the laws of the land forbid an Executive Governor sacking elected Local Government Chairmen and Councillors.

The Chairmen proceeded to the law courts to challenge the actions of the Governor until the Appeal Court sitting in Owerri rescinded the Governor’s action and re instated the Council Chairmen.

Before then, a lower Court presided by the State Chief Judge, Justice B.B Njemanze had upheld the action of the Governor.

However, the legal battle is still on as there are cases related to the matter pending at several Courts in Owerri and Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city. The State Government has continuously maintained that it has respected the Order of the Appeal Court by allowing the Chairmen to return to the Local Councils as Transition Committee Chairmen earlier appointed by the State Governor had vacated the Council headquarters. 

However, the Chairmen cry foul over the withdrawal of key and senior Local Government Administration staffers by the State Government, a move they say is aimed at frustrating them in running the Councils.

One of the Chairmen who pleaded anonymity told this blog ‘we are running the councils with our personal funds. The DAGS (Director of Administration and General Services), the treasurer and other key Local Government Administration staffers have been withdrawn. They work secretly with the Transition Committee Chairmen in secret locations.  This is illegal and unlawful. Since we returned to office via the Appeal Court ruling, there has never been a JAAC meeting where representatives of the State and Local Governments meet to discuss on sharing of the allocation accruable to the State. Again, this is illegal’

Efforts  to Speak to Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chinedu Offor, was futile, but a source in government quarters insists that the tenure of the council Chairmen has elapsed since August 8^th, 2012.

 ‘The Courts were specific on this. Their tenure elapsed on August 8^th, 2012. And we even offered to pay them their outstanding allowances  and salaries which they refused to accept’ the source declared.