Monday- 2nd August, 2021: Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has recalled his sacked Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, Cyprian Akaolisa.
The Governor had on May 12, sacked Akaolisa and 19 other Commissioners, living eight other Commissioners.
But on Monday, he made a volte-face, announcing that he never sacked Akaolisa, who is currently slammed with a five-year ban from practising as a lawyer by Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.
The state Commissioner for information and strategy, Declan Emelumba, said that the governor never sacked Akaolisa as the Chief law officer of the state.
The statement read, “the Imo state government wishes to acknowledge that the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Barr C O C Akaolisa, was never among the commissioners dropped when the executive Council was dissolved a few weeks ago.
“This error which occurred when I was announcing the commissioners retained by His Excellency the Executive Governor of Imo State, Sen Hope Uzodimma, is highly regretted. I accept responsibility for this error.
“Consequently, the government has directed that the Hon Attorney General and commissioner for justice, Barr C.O C Akaolisa should immediately resume his normal duties as he was never dropped from the state cabinet.”
Speaking to The PUNCH on Akaolisa’s ban by LPDC, the information Commissioner said that the state government would respond after the channels of appeal on the ban had been exhausted.
Emelumba said, “Our laws are clear on this. An accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The ban had been appealed and the Imo State Government would take a position on it after the channels of appeal on the matter have exhausted.”
