[EXCLUSIVE] “NBA Owerri Fact-Finding Report On Closure Of National Industrial Court False, Mischievous And A Product Of Envy” — Louis Alozie SAN

*Accuses Fmr Chairman NBA Owerri And Imo State Attorney General Of Manipulating Fact-Finding Report
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Louis M. Alozie, has roundly dismissed findings of gross misconduct against him by a fact-finding Committee on the closure of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, as false and mischievous.
Recall that following the closure of the Owerri Judicial Division of National Industrial Court of Nigeria, the Nigerian Bar Association, Owerri Branch, in the emergency meeting jointly held by members of the J. I. Ogamba, Esq. led Executive Committee and the Advisory Committee of the Branch on Friday, the 17th day of June, 2022, constituted a three (3) man Committee and designated same as “Fact Finding Committee on the Remote and Immediate Causes of the Closure of the NICN Owerri Judicial Division” (The Committee). The Committee’s term of reference was to inquire into the facts resulting in the closure of the Owerri Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) and make recommendations accordingly.
In a report now making rounds on social media, the Committee which comprised of: Chidi B. Nworka, Esq. (Chairman), U. N. NWakaeti, Esq.  (Member), and, Kingsley C. Ehujuo, Esq., ACArb (Secretary), found Mr M. Alozie culpable of gross professional misconduct.
However, in an exclusive interview with TheNigeriaLawyer, the Learned Silk who is an External Solicitor to the Imo State Government refuted the report as maliciously made to bring him down.
According to Alozie,he fellout with the Attorney-General  of  Imo State ,Chief C. O. C. Akaolisa, Esq.,when the Governor,Hope Uzodimma appointed him as External Solicitor to the State Government to handle its cases when there was perceived compromise on the part of the Ministry of Justice.
He said,  “When the Governor invited me to come and work for the people of the State I was surprised after fighting the Governor during the election petition.
However the Governor told me that election was over and I should come and work for the state . Then he handed over 13 cases relating to Former Governor Rochas Okorocha to me because he perceived compromise from the Ministry of Justice. That was the beginning of my trouble . The AG complained to the  Governor that Alozie is getting all the cases and the Governor rebuked him in my presence. Since then, the Attorney General maintained grudges against me to the extent that he refuses to give me letters of instruction and I have to receive such letters directly from Government House which has enabled me to save them a lot of trouble”.
He further narrated his involvement in the matter which gave rise to the closure of the Industrial Court.
He said, “when they gave me this Madumere matter, I looked at the judgement and it was undefended. The Judge said it was default judgement. I applied to have the judgement set aside. I was told to pay N407,000 for default fee which I paid from my pocket.”
He continued, “Before argument, the Court asked us to settle. After meetings at the office of the Secretary of State Government, we were unable to settle on the issue of the imprest on Madumere’s entitlement as Former Deputy Governor.”
He noted that after failing to resolve the issue out of court, he proceeded with the application to set aside the default judgement which was struck out by the Court.
“When I came out, I was instructed to appeal, but when my colleagues went to file the appeal, they were told that they were barred from filing an appeal by the Judge of the Court until he order nisi is made absolute.”
He said, he subsequently prepared a Notice of Appeal and filed at the Court of Appeal on the 26th of May, 2022, while, on the 27th, the Industrial Court made the garnishee order absolute.
He continued, “While I was in Abuja, the Attorney General called me that the bank was sealed due to the order and people were cussing the government, the court and there was general fury, and the bank was also pressurising that we take steps to lift the order.”
He faulted the Immediate past Chairman of the NBA Owerri branch, J. I. Ogamba, for writing the bank accusing the Judge of been compromised. A letter which was forwarded to him by the Attorney General who asked him to act.
The Learned Silk further claimed that the Attorney General instructed him to get an order from the State High Court which will give the bank legal ground to reopen for business. A suggestion he rejected.
He said, the AG through some other lawyers obtained an order from the High Court without reference to the pending appeal at the Court of Appeal or the judgement of the National Industrial Court .
He said that “In one of the reports it was stated that myself and one Chinasa Nwaneri said to be an SA to the Governor had planned a demonstration protest that took place on the 7th of June.
“They also claimed that the AG told them that I prepared the process that I said I won’t do and got a director in the department of litigation to move the application when I am not a government appointee
“When these people met me in the office of the Attorney General they confronted with all manners of questions which he answered in my presence and I also gave my response in his presence.  He didn’t tell them that I was the person who wrote the protest or prepares process for the director to move in court.
He further accused the Fmr Chairman of NBA Owerri for witch-hunting him when he (the Chairman) perceived that the he influenced the bank to dispose his service and get that of Prof. Fabian Ajogwu for the appeal stage.
He accused the Fact-Finding Committee of making their findings and indicting him without hearing from him or the governor but based on reports obtained behind them and nobody confronted me with these reports.
He further expressed shock at the published report which he said was last week rejected by the advisory committee of the Branch, describing the indictment against him as mischievous and false.
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