Upon receipt of petitions from the public alleging that Staff of Offices were being issued to certain Monarchs in a particular hotel in the state, reports from Imo State House of Assembly committee on Autonomous Communities and Community Government Council (CGC) headed by member representing Ideato North State Constituency, Hon. (Barr) Arthur Egwim confirmed that upon investigations to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the exercise, the committee, discovered that what the SGI only issued were letters of Recognition to Eze-elects recently recommended by the House as well as replacement in certain autonomous communities who lost their Ezes in the past, asserting that the exercise was a prerogative of the executive arm and not that of the legislature.
According to our correspondent who spoke to the Chairman of the committee to ascertain the true position of the matter which was greeted with mixed reactions, the committee had embarked on investigation based on several petitions it received against the exercise to ascertain the authenticity or, otherwise, of the claims by petitioners.
The committee reiterated that following thorough investigations, it discovered and concluded that letters of recognition issued to the recommended Eze-elects in the state, were duly authorized by the out gone governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and issued by the immediate past SGI.
Hon. Egwim strongly held that the House committee on Autonomous Communities and CGC which he is the Chairman charged with mandate of overseeing the activities of the communities under the Ministry of CGC worked assiduously to ensure due process was followed in arriving at who are qualified to become Ezes of various communities without compromising its duties, adding that he had brought the matter at the floor of the House last week to enable the House take drastic measures on how best to arrest the dust raised in the course of determining Eze-elects duly qualified for letters of recognition.
As against earlier impression created in the media that the office of the SGI had issued staff of office in a particular hotel in the state, the committee Chairman submitted that such information was not only false, but also, mischievous and misleading, arguing that his committee’s thorough investigation and visit to some affected autonomous communities across the state vindicated the exercise carried out by the out gone administration.
Making further clarification, the Ideato North lawmaker who is due for inauguration as a ranking member, having been re-elected by his people based on his accountable and responsive representation in the outgoing 8th House; emphasized that the issuance of letter of recognition to the said Eze-elects adjudged “to be justifiable meritorious would be gazetted and followed by the issuance of Staff of Office, by the new administration.
He therefore, appealed to those not involved in the last arrangement not to take laws into their hands as according to him effort are in top gear to ensure all the autonomous communities and Eze-elect who are qualified by law to be duly recognized were attended to accordingly, while enjoining those that received their letter of recognition to remain faithful and hopeful for the next executive action to make their status wholesome.
It will be recalled that the newly installed Speaker and member for Onuimo, Rt. Hon. Chinedu Offor, has last week at plenary, announced that a thorough investigation be carried out on the rumour regarding the issuance of letter of recognition to some Eze-elects in the state, hence, the investigation by the lawmaker and his team which the outcome is said to have vindicated the exercise carried out by former SGI.
