Imo PDP Rejects Appointment Of Justice Commissioner Says At All Material Times, He Was Not A Lawyer

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has rejected
the re-appointment of Mr Cyprian Akaolisa as Imo State Attorney
General and Commissioner for Justice of the state by Governor Hope
Uzodinma.

This is even as the party has pointed out that the re-appointed
Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General is a non-lawyer
having been suspended for five years by the Legal Practitioners
Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for alleged gross misconduct.

It would be recalled that Mr Akaolisa who was reappointed as
commissioner for Justice and Attorney – General on Monday was among
the twenty commissioners that were sacked by Governor Hope Uzodinma
in May.

In a statement signed by Mr Ogubundu Nwadike, Publicity
Secretary of the Party notes that the said Mr Akaolisa is the same
person who was recently de-robed and barred from practising as a
lawyer for five years by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary
Committee (LPDC) for violating set codes of ethics and conduct of
the Legal Practitioners body.

The party further said , that it is also aware that the appeal
by Mr. Akaolisa against his suspension from the Bar is still
pending before the LPDC and that until his suspension is lifted by
the LPDC that he is not qualified to occupy the position.

The statement reads in part:

‘Imo PDP recognizes the statutory stipulations that whoever
shall serve as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice must
be a bona fide lawyer, which in this case is contravened with the
appointment of Mr Akaolisa. It is on that basis that this Party
hereby demands the immediate withdrawal of the portfolio from Mr
Akaolisa.

‘Our party applauded Governor Hope Uzodinma’s sack of Mr
Akaolisa in what seemed an appropriate response to the sanctions
placed against his status as a lawyer with the five-year LPDC ban
slapped on him. This Party, therefore, finds as an unacceptable
recant and detour the recall and re-appointment of Mr Akaolisa
after about three months of his rightful ouster from office for the
espoused reasons of gross abuse of office and miscarriage of legal
and judicial processes. Imo State can ill-afford the
unconstitutional aberration of having a non-lawyer as Attorney
General and Commissioner for Justice as he is yet to be acquitted
via his appeal before the LPDC.

‘This party is aware that there are numerous qualified legal
practitioners in Imo State, who can appropriately serve in the
Office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Imo
State. We charge Governor Uzodinma to do the needful and appoint a
duly certified legal practitioner as the State’s Chief Law and
Justice Officer.

Imo PDP seizes this opportunity to reiterate its admonition
that Governor Uzodinma must stop politicising everything, including
the critical issues pertaining to the technically very sensitive
Office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for
Justice.’

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has rejected
the re-appointment of Mr Cyprian Akaolisa as Imo State Attorney
General and Commissioner for Justice of the state by Governor Hope
Uzodinma.

This is even as the party has pointed out that the re-appointed
Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General is a non-lawyer
having been suspended for five years by the Legal Practitioners
Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for alleged gross misconduct.

It would be recalled that Mr Akaolisa who was reappointed as
commissioner for Justice and Attorney – General on Monday was among
the twenty commissioners that were sacked by Governor Hope Uzodinma
in May.

In a statement signed by Mr Ogubundu Nwadike, Publicity
Secretary of the Party notes that the said Mr Akaolisa is the same
person who was recently de-robed and barred from practising as a
lawyer for five years by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary
Committee (LPDC) for violating set codes of ethics and conduct of
the Legal Practitioners body.

The party further said , that it is also aware that the appeal
by Mr. Akaolisa against his suspension from the Bar is still
pending before the LPDC and that until his suspension is lifted by
the LPDC that he is not qualified to occupy the position.

The statement reads in part:

‘Imo PDP recognizes the statutory stipulations that whoever
shall serve as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice must
be a bona fide lawyer, which in this case is contravened with the
appointment of Mr Akaolisa. It is on that basis that this Party
hereby demands the immediate withdrawal of the portfolio from Mr
Akaolisa.

‘Our party applauded Governor Hope Uzodinma’s sack of Mr
Akaolisa in what seemed an appropriate response to the sanctions
placed against his status as a lawyer with the five-year LPDC ban
slapped on him. This Party, therefore, finds as an unacceptable
recant and detour the recall and re-appointment of Mr Akaolisa
after about three months of his rightful ouster from office for the
espoused reasons of gross abuse of office and miscarriage of legal
and judicial processes. Imo State can ill-afford the
unconstitutional aberration of having a non-lawyer as Attorney
General and Commissioner for Justice as he is yet to be acquitted
via his appeal before the LPDC.

‘This party is aware that there are numerous qualified legal
practitioners in Imo State, who can appropriately serve in the
Office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Imo
State. We charge Governor Uzodinma to do the needful and appoint a
duly certified legal practitioner as the State’s Chief Law and
Justice Officer.

Imo PDP seizes this opportunity to reiterate its admonition
that Governor Uzodinma must stop politicising everything, including
the critical issues pertaining to the technically very sensitive
Office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for
Justice.’