. Judge delivered judgment as a parting gift to govt, Okorocha alleges.
VICTOR DURUAMAKU – OWERRI
Imo people have received the verdict of the Owerri High Court, ordering the total forfeiture of the state government property, held as personal property by the former governor of the state Senator Rochas A. Okorocha with joy and jubilation.
Reacting to the court verdict, most people told our correspondent that the verdict represented the minds of the people.
According to them, the assets and property said to have been taken over by the former governor, as personal of the state government.
The property and assets so identified, taken over by the former governor, include Eastern Palm University, Ogboko and Royal Palm Suites among other properties listed.
In his own opinion, Chief Goddy Ejiogu, Nnana, a frontline community leader in the state commended, the Judiciary for standing in for the people of the state, by ordering the total forfeiture of the properties.
He said, “it was very unfortunate that somebody who was entrusted with the public asset and properties, turned round to confiscate such public property into personal property”.
Also barring his mind, another strong politician, in the state and member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Dr Ezerue, Okafor Obasi commended the judge of the High court, for giving e.g sound verdict reflucting the minds of the people of the state.
He urged the state governor Hope Uzodimma to also file more cases, to retrieve the properties and assets of the state government stolen by top office holders in the previous administrations.
According to him, “most political office holders in the previous administrations left office with government properties and assets, including movable and non-movable assets”.
He noted further that such assets, are in the hands of the relations and family members of such former office holders.
Chief Obasi went on to urged the state governor to put up commissions, or committee for the purpose or recovering further Imo state government property and assets still being held by politician and former public office holders, in the state.
However, it would be recalled, that following the legal approach, by the state government over it’s property held by the former governor of the state, senator Rochas Okorocha in Owerri High court Monday, delivered a judgement in the suit, ordering total forfeiture of the property and assets to the state government.
The court presided over by Justice Fred Njemanze in his rulling, Monday ordered that all properties contained in pages 226 to 272 of the Imo State Government White Paper gazette on recovery of lands and properties which belongs to Imo State should also be recovered.
It would be recall that the Imo State government had embarked on recovery of government properties in Okorocha’s custody based on the white paper, which emanated from a Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Recovery of Imo State Government assets and properties.
The former Governor resisted an attempt by officials of Imo State Government to recover Royal Palm Suites, Owerri, an exquisite estate linked to his wife, Nneoma.
However, in a reaction to the judgment, former Governor Rochas Okorocha through his press Secretary Mr Sam Onwuemeodo alleged that the judge delivered the judgment as a parting gift to Imo state government.
According to him, “he did that as a parting gift to imo state government, we are going to approach relevant agencies to investigate the judgement and prove him or us right or wrong”.
Okorocha further said that, “what was before justice Njemanze was preliminary objection, challenging his jurisdiction or competence to give interim forfeiture order on February 24, 2021, over properties the cases on them have been going on in various courts in Owerri and Abuja, including the federal high court, Owerri, since 2019 and 2020”.
He noted that on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, Justice Njemanze sat. and the lawyers in the matter argued on the preliminary objection where Chief Obah Maduabuchi, SAN, was Okorocha’s Lawyer and Chief Louis Alozie (SAN) was for the Imo State Government.
Okorocha said, Justice Njemanze reserved ruling on the Preliminary objection and told the lawyers that they would be Communicated on the date of hearing. He also told other lawyers who had applied to be joined for their clients, to wait until after the ruling on the preliminary objection.
On Wednesday, August 4, 2021, the Court Clerk sent text messages to the lawyers that the Court would sit on Friday, August 6, 2021 for the lawyers to adopt their processes, instead of the expected ruling on the Preliminary objection.
On the Friday, August 6, 2021, Lawyers were in Court. Justice Njemanze did not come. He did not sit that day. Lawyers left and those involved left.
That is to say, on the Friday, August 6, 2021, neither the expected ruling on the Preliminary objection was given, nor the adoption of the processes as Contained in the text messages of Wednesday, August 4, 2021.
On Monday, August 9, 2021, while lawyers in the matter were expecting to hear from the Court on the issue of date, the news came that Justice Njemanze had given Judgement in a substantive suit he never heard and not also on the Preliminary objection, even when lawyers had not adopted their processes.
In the Contentious forfeiture Order Justice Njemanze gave on February 24, 2021, only five properties were directly linked to Okorocha and family, including Eastern Palm University and Royal Spring Palm hotel.
But, both Justice Njemanze and the Imo State government had talked about pages 226 to 272 of the aberration called the WHITEPAPER, as Containing Okorocha’s Properties. This is bare blackmail. It is not true
We have meticulously gone through pages 226 to 272 of their WHITEPAPER. The pages contained layouts and estates and none belonged to Okorocha and the family.
Some of those who own these properties in the interim forfeiture order are also in various courts and like we said, some of them had also applied to Justice Njemanze to be joined. But Justice Njemanze told them to wait until he ruled on the preliminary objection. But he went ahead to give Judgement in the substantive matter he never heard. This is absurd.
In the Contentious Judgement, he gave absolute forfeiture order on the properties in question, in a matter he never heard and which matters on them, have been going on in Courts of Competent Jurisdiction. And in less than 24 hours to his retirement today being Tuesday, August 10, 2021.
This is the first time we are hearing that a Judge could give Judgement in a matter or Case he never heard. This is not good for the Society and for the judicial system.
