*Abia loses Chief Judge, Uzokwe to the policy
*Assembly berates Gov Orji, S/E Forum
The Anambra State house of Assembly has indicated its readiness to back the state’s indigenes recently sacked by the Abia state Government for reasons other than that they were not from that state to seek a legal redress before a court of competent jurisdiction.
This, the Assembly noted, was with an aim to stem the ugly policy before it catches on in other states of the federation.
The Assembly had in a six-point resolution yesterday when it received in audience the embattled workers noted that the action of Gov Theodore Orji was clearly ill-conceived and ill-advised, and negates the provisions of Sec 42(1)(a) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
While berating the Abia state governor resolved in a motion to send a strongly-worded letter of protest to him to point out all the flaws contained in the new non-indigene policy.nambra state has in his state.
The resolution which read in part, “His Excellency, Mr Peter Obi, the Governor of Anambra state and chairman, South East Governors Forum, is passionately urged to interfere by employing appropriate channels to prevail on his counterpart the governor of Abia state to rescind this patently unconstitutional policy.
“Upon the intervention of the Governor of Anambra state as aforesaid and nothing is done to normalize this obvious abnormality by the Government of Abia state, the affected Anambra state indigenes should be encouraged and in fact assisted by the Government and people of Anambra state to take appropriate steps as required by the law to seek redress against the Government of Abia state.”
Amongthe affected workers was thee incumbent acting Chief Judge of Abia state, Justice Theresa Uzokwe, from Anambra state.
A member of the Anambr state Assembly, Kene Chukwuemeka (ACN, Awka South 1) while appealing to Abia to recall them in the true spirit of Igbo affinity, noted that Gov Orji was so excited when he received the 30-member Assembly early in the year during their retreat at Umuahia. “Gov Orji had excitedly told us of his immense joy for our choice of Abia state for the retreat. That he saw it as a measure of confidence the government and people of Anambra state has in his state. He went on to assert with satisfaction that more than 70% of all landed property in the state were owned by people of Anambra state origin.
“It was therefore shocking to learn that such a public officer would turn a whole 360 degrees to treat the same Anambra people with such levity and wickedness.”, the lawmaker stressed.
About 1800 of the affected disengaged workers led by their spokesperson, Chief Domnic Ezeh stormed Awka Government House and state Assembly in tears yesterday. He disclosed that they were paid off in September.
The Secretary to the state Government who received them it was against the spirit of national unity, brotherhood and Constitution of Nigeria. But the Commissioner for Information and Culture Maja Umeh said they are consulting and have already taken it up with the Abia Government. Non of the government officials was able to confirm or deny moves by the Anambra state Government to retaliate.
It however alleged that the relationship between Abia and Anambra state governors have been very cold especially after the earlier failed attempt by Orji to join the All Progressives Grand Alliance. That it was why nothing was done to mitigate the policy especially when it was first muted three months ago.
Last year during the prolonged Anambra state University strike that the Chairman of the Joint Advisory negotiating Council Vinc Asoegwu described the South East Governors Forum as a mere talk shop that yields or benefits no one. The forum would have checked the non-indigeneship policy.
