An Owerri High Court presided over by Justice Ngozi Opara has ordered the sack of the Secretary to the Imo state Government (SSG), Prof. Anthony Anwuka.
The order is based on a suit brought against the SSG by a Non Government Organization, Every Child Educational and Advancement Foundation (ECEAF).
In the suit, the NGO argued that Anwuka, a former Vice Chancellor of the Imo state University, Owerri is not fit to hold the office of the SSG, having been indicted of fraud by a visitation panel set by the former Gov. Ikedi Ohakim’s administration to look into the affairs of the university.
The Ohakim administration had issued a white paper in which the government not only approved Anwuka’s retirement but ordered him to refund the sum of N3.8m, being the value of a new 15 seater Mercedes Benz bus he took away at the end of his tenure.
Delivering judgment, Justice Opara held that the white paper is binding on the state governor who is the first defendant on the matter, stressing that the governor was bound to implement it.
He further declared the appointment of Anwuka as SSG and that of other persons indicted in the white paper dated June 2009 as illegal, null and void and of no effect.
Justice Opara directed Gov. Rochas Okorocha to terminate Anwuka’s appointment and hat of any other person indicted in the white paper and holding office in his administration.
Reacting to the judgment, ECEAF’s Facilitator, Precious Nwadike called on Okorocha to implement the court verdict without delay in order to save democracy in Imo state. It warned that the continued retention of the SSG and others indicted in the white paper would result to the civil protests.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that street protests have already commenced in Owerri, the state capital, demanding the governor to comply with the judgment.
The protesters are said to be mainly from SSG’s home council, Oguta where his kinsmen accuse him of always instigating crisis to achieve his political ambitions as well as alleged diversion of relief materials meant for last year’s flood victims in the area.
Efforts to get the reaction of the embattled SSG proved abortive as he did not pick his calls or reply text message sent to him. When contacted, Okorocha’s spokesman, Hon. Ebere Uzoukwa promised to get back to our correspondent but never did.