PDP Raises Alarm Over Alleged Imo Govt Plans On Recalled Council Chiefs

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Imo State chapter has alerted the public of alleged plan by the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Imo State to sack the recalled 27 Local council chairmen and councillors.In a statement in Owerri signed by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Blyden Amajirionwu and made available to The Guardian at the weekend, the party accused the Rochas Okorocha led government in the state of planning to once again dissolve the re-instated council chiefs on August 8, 2012, stating that the party's position is that the tenure of the chairmen and councillors would not end August 8.The Secretary to the Government of Imo State (SGI), Prof. Anthony Anwukah, in his reaction to the Imo PDP's accusation of planned dissolution of the recalled Local Council chairmen, said what the law says is what the state government will apply, arguing that immediate past governor of the state, Chief Ikedi Ohakim and the former House of Assembly signed it into Law.But the Secretary to the Government of Imo State (SGI), Prof. Anthony Anwukah, said the tenure of the council chairmen would end on August 7.Said he: 'The law says two years. Their tenure ends on August 7. That's what the law says. Nobody is interested in what the Imo PDP is saying. Ikedi Ohakim signed it. The State House of Assembly passed it. They went to court and they got judgment. They should be out at the end of August 7.'The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Chief Soronnadi Njoku, had in a briefing recently told journalists that the council chairmen would complete their tenure which expire on August 8. But Okorocha held a meeting with the chairmen on Monday at Sam Mbakwe chambers, government House, Owerri where he told them to maintain the peace. It reads in part: 'The attention of the state Peoples Democratic Party has been drawn to the illegal plan by the APGA-led government in Imo State to sack the elected Councillors of the Local Government Areas in the state on the 8th August, 2012. We recall that these council chairmen and Councillors were only reinstated by the Court of Appeal barely one month ago after more than one year of forced exclusion from their Local Government offices.'The state government is citing tenure expiration as their reason for going to commit another illegality. The state PDP wishes to state for the avoidance of doubt, that the tenure of elected council chairmen and Councillors will not expire on the 8th August, 2012.'The party leadership asked the council chairmen and Councillors to continue staying and discharging their functions in keeping with the Court of Appeal's judgment July 5.
Click here to read full news..