Court suspends swearing-in of new deputy governor of Imo

Swearing-in of Calistus Ekenze as new Deputy Governor of Imo on Tuesday was aborted by Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Miletus Nlemedim’s announcement stopping the exercise.
The cancellation of the ceremony came shortly before its commencement in the Government House where guests, the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Pascal Nnadi and the deputy governor-designate were already seated.
Nlemedim explained that the cancellation was based on an interim order by an Imo High Court, presided over by Justice Ben Iheka on Monday which stopped the House of Assembly from proceeding with impeachment of Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere.
He said the same order also stopped the chief judge swearing in Ekenze, the Head of Service of the state.
Nlemedm said: “The governor nominated Callistus Ekenze as deputy governor and that nomination was approved unanimously by the state House of Assembly.
“We came here today for the swearing-in but our attention has been drawn to an interim order stopping the Chief Judge from performing this ceremony.
“We have quickly taken the necessary steps to vacate that order and that will be concluded in a very short time.
“We shall for now shift the swearing-in in obedience to the order of court.”
Madumere had sought an interim injunction of the court through his counsel,  Ken Njemanze (SAN), to restrain his impeachment by the lawmakers.
Based on the application, Justice Ben Iheka of the state High Court gave an order suspending the process of impeachment of Madumere and for maintenance of status quo pending the hearing of the substantive matter.
He later adjourned the case until August 13.
Similarly, the state governor, Rochas Okorocha, has said that swearing-in ceremony of the new deputy governor would no longer hold due to interim order of court restraining the Chief Judge of the state from carrying out the ceremony.
Okorocha said in a statement from his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, that the order would be fully obeyed.
The statement said: “The governor had insisted that the interim order be obeyed not minding some issues raised by senior lawyers in the government against the order.
“He insisted that his administration must continue to obey valid court orders served on the government or agents of the government.”
It noted that 19 members of the House of Assembly, on Monday, impeached the Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere, following submission on Friday, of the report of the panel that investigated allegations against him.
The governor urged all Imo people and the parties in the matter to remain law-abiding and allow the law to take its course.