-Emelumba reminded of similar judgement in his favour
“The saying that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander does not seem to go down well with the Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, who, despite being a beneficiary of a Garnishee Order issued by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Owerri in 2019, is presently firing on all cylinders to negate a Garnishee Order obtained from the same court by the former Deputy, Governor of Imo state, Prince Eze Madumere MFR.”
judgement order in favour of Declan Emelumba
The Convener of a socio-political organization under the auspices of Save Imo Group, Comrade Ekenulo stated this while commenting on the release issued by Chief Emelumba in respect of the Garnishee Order secured by Prince Eze Madumere MFR against Imo State Government which led to the sealing of all branches of Zenith Bank in Owerri last week.
Comrade Ekenulo who spoke alongside other concerned Imolites berated Chief Declan Emelumba for what he referred to “as his hypocritical disposition which makes him blow hot and cold at the same time.”
They wondered why Emelumba who, as lawmaker for Oru state constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly in 2019, alongside two of his colleagues instituted Suit No: NICN/OW/14M/2018 between Declan Mbadiwe Emelumba, Chief Mike Iheanetu and Imo state government, Governor of Imo State, Attorney General of Imo State, Imo State House of Assembly Commission and Fidelity bank PLC as Judgment Debtors, would turn around to insult and castigate the Nigeria Bar Association for being on the side of truth and justice as regards the Garnishee Order in question and attendant issues.
A cross section of Imolites also mocked the Barr Rex Anunobi-led Orlu Political Consultative Assembly OPOCA which it described “as a lame duck which only achievement is the display of mock casket at the instance of their pay masters for former Governor Achike Udenwa and Senator Arthur Nzeribe, two prominent, distinguished and illustrious Orlu sons who should for no reason be castigated or made mockery of.”
They called on Imo people across board to ignore and disregard the reprehensible shenanigans of OPOCA which it said, is motivated by desire for pecuniary benefits and stomach infrastructure.
Reacting to OPOCA’s release, Comrade Izuchukwu Adindu, an opinion analyst wondered how and why an organization which claims to speak for and represent the collective interests of Orlu people would comfortably maintain grave silence over the mass killings, maiming and destruction of property in Orlu and environ.
Other Imolites who also commented on the development took a swipe at Rex Anunobi popularly called Sokom who they said, despite being a lawyer does not seem to know how to strike a balance between an Order of a court of competent jurisdiction and engagement in political gimmicks.
They expressed regret that OPOCA has become a willing tool in the hands of political jobbers and mercenaries as the group often dabbles into issues that are not in tandem with its core mandate, more so, without a good understanding of what are involved.
Reacting to the development, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress in Orlu zone, Chief Gideon Nnadi noted that OPOCA has become notorious for allowing its platform to be used to execute hatchet jobs for some disgruntled politicians who have little or nothing to offer at the end of the day, except rhetoric’s.”
It would be recalled that Chief Declan Emelumba in a release he authored and made available to the press on behalf of the state government captioned, “Garnishee Order, Imo NBA compromised, biased, accused the Nigeria Bar Association NBA of being biased and compromised because the Imo state Chairman of NBA by virtue of being Zenith Bank’s lawyer, is an interested party.
He said the unilateral action of the NBA chairman in issuing a statement through his secretary condemning the arrest of some staff of the Industrial Court is a clear testimony of Abuse of office said, “Imo State Government has condemned the Nigerian Bar Association for “hastily taking sides without diligent investigation” in the matter between it and a former Deputy Governor of the state.
The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon Declan Emelumba in a statement described as unfortunate and unprofessional the attack on the Government by NBA, Imo state branch without recourse to the facts of the matter.
The Commissioner who accused the state chairman of NBA Barr. J .I Ogamba of being an interested party since he is the lawyer to zenith Bank said he has been heavily compromised.
According to him, the unilateral action of the NBA chairman in issuing a statement, through his secretary condemning the arrest of some staff of the industrial court, is a clear testimony of abuse of office.
He said the fact that the Chairman has a personal interest in the matter obfuscated his impartial consideration of the relevant issues that led to the arrest and release of the said staff and the injunction obtained by the government against some banks on Friday.
First of all, we are yet to hear of where NBA met as a body and resolved to issue such a weighty statement that borders on security and the powers of the police to maintain law and order. Second, the injunction obtained by Government has nothing to do with the Madumere case. So the question of courts of coordinate powers does not arise”, Emelumba submitted.
He said if NBA had intervened as an impartial arbiter, it would have easily found out that the police effected the arrest of the Staff of the industrial court when it was discovered that neither the Imo state police command nor zone 9 was aware of those policemen who sealed Zenith Bank on Wednesday.
“But because the chairman has vested interest he railroaded a few members of NBA to attack an innocent Government which crime was to stop anarchy being enthroned in the state”, he said.
The Commissioner advised members of the NBA in the state to be circumspect so as to distinguish between a personal war of vendetta and representing public interest.”
