Sacked elected council officials resume in Imo

With policemen providing security, the sacked local council chairmen in Imo resumed duty on Wednesday as directed by the Court of Appeal, Enugu on 5 July.

Policemen were drafted to the various local government secretariats in the state to avert break down of law and order.

The state government had earlier barred the chairmen from gaining access to their offices after the judgement was delivered.

On Tuesday, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke urged the state government to obey the Appeal Court’s verdict.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the Transition Council Chairmen appointed by the Rochas Okorocha government to replace the sacked chairmen were not seen in their offices.

In its reaction, the state government insisted that the “rush to resume duty” by the elected chairmen was against due process.

The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Soronnadi Njoku, told NAN on Wednesday in Owerri that the government had filed a motion on notice for stay of execution of the appeal court’s judgment.

He said that the chairmen had been served with the notice.

Njoku accused the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Mohammed Daga, of using the police to enforce the court’s order “without recourse to due process”.

According to him, the police have no role in enforcing a judgment on a civil suit, adding that the presence of policemen at the council offices was unnecessary .

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Vitalis Olugu, said the policemen were deployed to the various local government secretariats to maintain law and order.

He said that the police did not need to be influenced by anybody before performing their duties.