Rivers: Court Convicts LG House Leader, Others …Over Vice Chairman’s Removal

The embattled Leader of Ahoada East Local Govrnment Legislative Assembly in Rivers State, Hon Emeka Godwin and other principal officers of the House have been convicted by a Port Harcourt High Court for flouting the court order over the impeachment of the Vice Chairman of the council, Hon Britain Ewor and ordered that they should be remanded in prison custody.

Other principal officers convicted include the Deputy Leader, Hon Goodlive Whiegbe, the Chief Whip, Hon Onwudiwe Abraham and the Clerk of the House, Mr Aaron Ikechukwu Odum.

Ruling on the application of committal of the principal officers as part of the reliefs sought by the applicant through his counsel, Barrister A.B Ihua-Maduenyi, the trial judge, Justice Omereji George last Monday said the court found the councillors guilty for not showing respect to the order of the court which restrained them from impeaching the Vice Chairman of the council from office.

According to him, the act undermined the integrity and honour of the court and its processes, noting that continuing with the impeachment of the applicant after being fully aware of the existence of the suit which substantially challenged their actions was contemptuous.

Justice Omereji noted that the court had on the 27th of June, 2012 given an order restraining the respondents from impeaching the applicant following the determination of the matter before the court and rather than complying with the order, they proceeded to impeach the Vice Chairman, and ordered the withholding of his entitlements, allowances and remunerations.

The trial judge posited that the  councillors had contemptuously insulted the court by describing its processes as ‘ mere pieces of paper”, while declaring that the Assembly was superior to the court in any matter pending before the Assembly.

He warned that the court can not fold its hands and watch its processes being abused with impunity or its awful orders flouted, adding that the court was not only entitled in the circumstance but bound to commit  the respondents contemnors to prison in order to preserve its honour, integrity and dignity.

Justice Omereji, however, granted the accused persons bail to the tune of N2million each with two sureties in like sum. The sureties according to the order, must deposit two passports each and must be residents within the jurisdiction of the court, which must be verified by the police prosecutor.

He further ordered them to reinstate the Vice Chairman as well as ensure that all his salaries, allowances and emoluments were paid to him before the new adjournment date, adding that the opportunity of bail granted them was to know if they did the impeachment willingly or not.

He said that if they fail to reinstate the Vice Chairman, the court would formally pronounce their sentenced on the  next adjourned date.

The case was adjourned to April for proper sentencing.

Earlier in an interview, the counsel to the applicant, Barrister Ihua-Maduenyi said the ruling was in order, adding that justice had been done to the applicant.

Wife of Rivers State Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi (left), with wife of Chairman, Tai Local Government Area of the state, Mrs Diana Gberekanu, during the First Lady’s visit to Tai Local Government Area, last Friday