A Commissioner in Imo State Mrs Nkechi Ugwu has been
sued by a concerned citizen Mr. Obum
Joseph, who is from Imo State, to present her certificate, with which she
was screened through by the Imo State House of Assembly, before she was made a
commissioner.
In suit No.
FHC/OW/CS/71/2020, dated 24th day of June and filed on the 26th day of June,
2020, at the Federal High Court, Owerri, presided over by His Lordship Tijani
G. Ringim, Mr. Obum Joseph, through his legal counsel Barrister Kings Nwosu,
based in Aba, Abia State, presented his originating summons, demanding the
court to compel Mrs Nkechi Ugwu to present to the public the certificate with
which she was screened through before becoming a commissioner.
Addressing journalists at the Federal High Court, Owerri, when the matter was presented on Thursday, Counsel to Obum Joseph stated that the litigant took the first defendant Mrs Ugwu to court in view of the fact that as a concerned citizen of Imo State, from the same state with the Commissioner, that he (Obum Joseph) was duty bound to compel the first defendant to produce the certificate, in order to ascertain whether she was qualified to occupy the position, as according to his counsel: “he now feels that if Nkechi is made a Commissioner without presenting certificate when there are other better people, who have also served the interest of the party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), from the area, who have better Certificate that should have been considered instead of Nkechi Ugwu, that it will not augur well for his Local Government Area Ideato South.
Counsel to
Obum Joseph Barrister Kings Nwosu further said that instead of Nkechi Ugwu to
simply comply with the demand of Obum Joseph, by presenting the demanded
certificate, she through her counsel Barrister D. O. Agbo , raised some
preliminary objections that Freedom of Information Bill (FIB) is not applicable
in Imo State, as such that the request
by Obum should not be granted by the court.
Barrister
Kings Nwosu also stated that Mrs Ugwu equally maintained in her preliminary
objections that nobody has come to ask
her for the certificate; in other words that the litigant and his counsel ought
to have first of all asked her to present the certificate before taking her to
court.
Barrister
Kings Nwosu further hinted thus: “in the affidavit in support of our
originating summons, Obum Joseph made stenous
efforts that were geared towards making her to present the certificate,
even before coming to court but she did not present it, hence he (Obum) now came
to the court.”
Furthering,
Barrister Nwosu said: “Obum Joseph is acting as a concerned citizen
because he comes from Imo state,the same state
with Nkechi Ugwu.”
Joined in the
suit, according to Barrister Kings Nwosu are: The Clerk, Imo State House of
Assembly; the Imo State House of Assembly and the Attorney General of Imo
State, in that order, Nkechi Ugwu being the first defendant.
“I,
acting for Obum Joseph, presented his originating summons and the lawyers from
the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney
General office moved their counter claim, issued before the court. Arguments
were taken and we asked the court to grant our application in respect of the
originating summons, which Obum Joseph filled against Nkechi Ugwu. After
replies from both Counsels, the Court unanimously adjourned the matter for 19th
of February, 2021 for judgement,” Barrister Nwosu submitted.