Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has claimed that the judgment of a Federal High Court which ordered for the final forfeiture of his property to the Imo government, was a parting gift of the judge to the state.
Justice Fred Njemanze of the High Court in Owerri ordered the final forfeiture of Okorocha’s disputed property to the Imo State government on August 9, 2021.
Spokesman to Okorocha, Sam Onwuemeodo, claimed that the judgment was contrived as the judge’s retirement gift to the Imo State government because it was given less than 24 hours to his retirement.
The full statement reads:
JUSTICE FRED NJEMANZE OF HIGH COURT, OWERRI GAVE JUDGEMENT IN A MATTER HE NEVER HEARD, LESS THAN 24 HOURS TO HIS RETIREMENT TODAY, AUGUST 10, 2021.
HE DID THAT AS A PARTING GIFT TO THE IMO STATE GOVERNMENT.
WE ARE GOING TO APPROACH RELEVANT AGENCIES TO INVESTIGATE THE JUDGEMENT AND PROVE HIM OR US RIGHT OR WRONG.
WHAT WAS BEFORE JUSTICE NJEMANZE WAS PRELIMINARY OBJECTION, CHALLENGING HIS JURISDICTION OR COMPETENCE TO GIVE INTERIM FORFEITURE ORDER ON FEBRUARY 24, 2021, OVER PROPERTIES THE CASES ON THEM HAVE BEEN GOING ON IN VARIOUS COURTS IN OWERRI AND ABUJA, INCLUDING THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT, OWERRI, SINCE 2019 AND 2020.
On Tuesday, August 3, 2021, Justice Njemanze sat. The lawyers in the matter argued on the preliminary objection. Chief Obah Maduabuchi, SAN, was Okorocha’s Lawyer and Chief Louis Alozie (SAN) was for the Imo State Government.
Justice Njemanze reserved the ruling on the Preliminary objection and told the lawyers that they would be Communicated on the date. He also told other lawyers who had applied to be joined for their clients, to wait until after the ruling on the preliminary objection.
On Wednesday, August 4, 2021, the Court Clerk sent text messages to the lawyers that the Court would sit on Friday, August 6, 2021, for the lawyers to adopt their processes, instead of the expected ruling on the Preliminary objection.
On Friday, August 6, 2021, Lawyers were in Court. Justice Njemanze did not come. He did not sit that day. Lawyers left and those involved left.
That is to say, on Friday, August 6, 2021, neither the expected ruling on the Preliminary objection was given, nor the adoption of the processes as Contained in the text messages of Wednesday, August 4, 2021.
On Monday, August 9, 2021, while lawyers in the matter were expecting to hear from the Court on the issue of the date, the news came that Justice Njemanze had given Judgement in a substantive suit he never heard and not also on the Preliminary objection, even when lawyers had not adopted their processes.
In the Contentious forfeiture Order Justice Njemanze gave on February 24, 2021, only five properties were directly linked to Okorocha and family, including Eastern Palm University and Royal Spring Palm hotel.
But, both Justice Njemanze and the Imo State government had talked about pages 226 to 272 of the aberration called the WHITEPAPER, as Containing Okorocha’s Properties. This is bare blackmail. It is not true
We have meticulously gone through pages 226 to 272 of their WHITEPAPER. The pages contained layouts and estates and none belonged to Okorocha and the family.
Some of those who own these properties in the interim forfeiture order is also in various courts and as we said, some of them had also applied to Justice Njemanze to be joined. But Justice Njemanze told them to wait until he ruled on the preliminary objection. But he went ahead to give Judgement in the substantive matter he never heard. This is absurd.
In the Contentious Judgement, he gave absolute forfeiture order on the properties in question, in a matter he never heard and which matters on them, have been going on in Courts of Competent Jurisdiction. And in less than 24 hours to his retirement, today is Tuesday, August 10, 2021.
This is the first time we are hearing that a Judge could give Judgement in a matter or Case he never heard. This is not good for Society and for the judicial system.
Sam Onwuemeodo
Special Adviser (Media) to the former Imo State Governor and Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, Senator Rochas Okorocha