An Owerri High Court has issued an interim order stopping the swearing in ceremony of the Imo state Deputy Governor designate, Callistus Ekenze.
The Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo in a statement, said that the Governor, Rochas Okorocha directed that the Interim Court Order restraining the Chief Judge of the State from carrying out the exercise be fully obeyed.
According to the statement, โthe governor had insisted that the interim Order be obeyed not minding some issues raised by senior Lawyers in the government against the Order, insisting that his administration must continue to obey valid Court Orders and also served on the government or agents of the governmentโ.
Announcing the governorโs directive after several hours of waiting for the commencement of the swearing-in ceremony scheduled to hold at the Sam Mbakwe Exco Chambers in the Government House, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Miletus Nlemadim, stated that the Imo state government has complied with a fresh order from an Owerri High Court preventing the Chief Judge of the state, Pascal Nnadi from swearing in the Deputy Governor designate.
He said the state government is law abiding and respects the rule of law and as such obeyed the court order.
He however noted that the state government is doing everything possible to vacate the order to enable the state government swear in the deputy Governor designate in a future date.
It should be recalled that the nineteen (19) members of the State House of Assembly had on Monday, July 30, impeached the former Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere following the submission last Friday, of the report of the Panel that investigated the allegations against him.
Thereafter, the House of Assembly cleared the state Head of Service, Callistus Ekenze as the deputy governor designate.
