PRESS RELEASE
More troubles seem to be on the way for embattled Eze Samuel Ohiri of Obi-Orodo Autonomous Community as election for the new Chairman of Imo State Council of Ndi-Eze draws nearer. This is as Chairman of South East Council of Traditional Rulers and erstwhile Chairman of Ndi-Eze in Imo State, HRM Eze (Dr.) Cletus Ilomuanyana, has restated that he will ensure Eze Ohiri goes to prison for impersonating to be Chairman of Ndi-Eze in Imo State.
Already, Eze Ilomuanya, through his counsel, Obiora Obianwu, SAN, is leaving nothing to chance in his N500 million suit against Ohiri “for arrogating to himself the office of the Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers”.
According to Eze Ilomuanya, all the period Ohiri was foisted on traditional rulers in Imo State amounted to gross illegality and usurpation of my office. I have several court judgments to buttress the current Suit How/360/2012 against Ohiri. Illegality cannot beget legality”
In the N500 million suit which is still pending at an Owerri High Court, Eze Ilomuanya is praying the court to “declare that all acts and actions carried out by Ohiri purportedly as Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers are null and void and of no effect”. He is also seeking amongst other reliefs, “an injunction restraining Ohiri from parading himself as Chairman of the Council, an order for Ohiri to vacate and surrender all properties of the Council in his possession as well as N500 million as damages”.
To prove his determination to jail Ohiri, Eze Ilomuanya is reported to have re-activated the contempt of court proceeding against Ohiri. In a “Notice of consequence of Disobedience To Court Order” otherwise known in judicial circles as Form 48, earlier issued to Ohiri and dated September 10, 2013, Ohiri was advised to comply with the appellate court’s judgment of July 5, 2013, which affirmed Eze Ilomuanya as Chairman of Ndi-Eze in Imo State.
The document states “Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in this order, you will be guilty of contempt of court will be liable to be committed to prison”
Why Eze Ilomuanya chose now to re-commence the contempt of court proceeding against Ohiri, according to analysts, could be attributed to his desire to draw his own pound of flesh against the embattled Eze Ohiri of Obi-Orodo Community.
Ohiri was alleged to have done everything possible to humiliate Eze Ilomuanya when the Obinugwu Monarch’s imbroglio with Governor Rochas Okorocha started in 2011 following the governor’s dissolution of the Imo State Council of Ndi-Eze under Eze Ilomuanya’s Chairmanship.
