ATTORNEY-GENERAL of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) tuesday reminded Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, that it was illegal to ignore the Court of Appeal ruling which reinstated council bosses he sacked.
Adoke who directed Okorocha to return to status quo, said the directive was in line with the Federal Government’s position on the matter.
Adoke, who made the government’s stand known in a statement in Abuja, asked the state government and all relevant agencies to abide by the appellate court decision
.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, the state capital, had on July 5, 2012 reinstated all the 27 local government chairmen and councillors sacked by Okorocha.
Okorocha had, in his maiden broadcast in June 2011, dissolved the councils and appointed caretaker committees to steer the affairs of the council areas.
But the sacked officials sought judicial redress and told the court that the governor lacked the powers to remove elected council officials.
In his July 5 ruling, Justice Uwani Abbaji of the appellate court nullified the appointment of transition committee chairmen appointed by the governor to manage the council areas.
The governor has not complied with the judgment two weeks after it was given by the court.
In a statement, Adoke urged the governor to respect the judgment.