As the Court of Appeal judgment which reinstated HRH Eze (Dr.) Cletus Ilomuanya as Chairman of Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers continue to elicit reactions, more pressure is being mounted on Governor Rochas Okorocha to abide by the Court’s judgment in the interest of peace, justice and rule of law.
At the heels of this landmark judgment, pundits had expressed doubts about Okorocha complying with the court’s order. They contended that the governor’s antecedents in which he has openly showed contempt and disregard to other previous court judgments against his administration even though he professes obedience to the rule of law in the Imo State’s anthem usually recited every now and them in the state’s owned Orient FM radio, are cases in point.
Demanding for the unconditional obedience to the court judgment, a group of traditional rulers in Imo State under the auspices of “Royal Stars” has insisted that the governor should uphold the supremacy of the rule of law above personal interest. During the group’s meeting last weekend at the palace of HRH Eze Jude Nwachukwu of Isiozi-aka Community in Njaba LGA of Imo State, the Royal Fathers agreed unanimously that the Governor Okorocha should remember the clause that “rule of law must reign in our time and that this is our prayer”, which is part of the state’s anthem, adding that time has now come for the governor to live up to what he preaches.
They assured the governor that Eze Ilomuanya will work cordially with him, stating that the entire traditional rulers in Imo State have embraced the return of Ilomuanya as Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers in line with the Court’s judgment.
Another group, Orluzurumee Youth Assembly, while demanding the immediate enforcement of the court of Appeal Judgment since it is declaratory, “argued that it is only by everybody being law abiding that democracy in Nigeria can grow”. The group contended that it is by the people learning to fight for their right that the society could be made better, insisting that “it takes resistance to overcome oppression and tyranny in every developing society”.
In a statement endorsed by its National President, Comrade Precious Nwadike and National Secretary, Comrade Kyrian Echerebo, the group while congratulating Eze Ilomuanya for gallantly fighting to ensure that justice prevailed at last, noted that “the judgment is a judgment for democracy and a call on all those in authority to guide against a similar reoccurrence of such impunity”, adding that “those who should uphold the law should not appear to destroy it especially in a case like this where a person’s statutory tenure is clearly spelt out by the law”.
The Orluzurumee Youths Assembly also commended Eze Ilomuanya’s maturity in pledging to work harmoniously with governor Okorocha, describing the gesture as the hallmark of a leader. The group further pleaded with the monarch to ensure that youths are carried along in government activities just as they demanded his intervention to stop the continuous balkanization of communities in the state into hamlets under the guise of creating more autonomous communities.
Signed:
Kennedy Eweama Esq.
Chief Press Secretary to Chairman
Imo State & South East Councils of Traditional Rulers
