Imo government cautions sacked council chairmen against resumption

Traditional medicine practitioners seek quick passage of the bill on herbal practice

The Imo State Government has cautioned the sacked local government chairmen and councilors against resuming work on Monday, November 30, as they threatened.

Elected for three years in 2018 under former Governor Rochas Okorocha’s administration, former Governor Emeka Ihedioha sacked the chairmen and councilors and replaced them with an Interim Management Caretaker Committee in 2019.

Dissatisfied with their disengagement, they approached the Federal High Court Owerri, which declared their removal illegal and asked them to resume immediately.

But the Governor Hope Uzodimma administration continued with his appointed council chairmen. However, the sacked chairmen resolved at a media briefing to resume work on November 30.

Reacting to their resolution, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Charles Akaolisa, in a statement yesterday, urged them to respect the stay of execution granted in court and the outcome of the appeal challenging their reinstatement order.

“It is important to state that Governor Uzodimma’s administration has not dissolved any elected local government council in Imo State. The administration, as a law-abiding government, will obey the final decision of the courts.

“We shall neither be stampeded nor blackmailed into succumbing to the antics of any person or group of persons on matters before the courts,” the statement reads.

MEANWHILE, National President of the Association of Commonwealth Natural and Herbal Medicine Practitioners, Dr. Cyprain Uba, has urged the National Assembly to give the bill on traditional medicine accelerated hearing and passage in view of its advantages.

Insisting that the bill had been in the National Assembly since 2004, Uba also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to revive the Presidential Initiative Committee on the Development, Promotion, and Commercialisation of Nigerian Herbal Medicinal Products (PIC), which was introduced in 2017.

Uba stated this at the inauguration and administration of the oath of office on the Eastern Coordinator and members of the executive of the zone in Owerri.

He said: “I use this medium to appeal to the Federal Government and the National Assembly to hasten the passage of the bill for an act to establish a council to regulate traditional medicine practice submitted in 2004 into law.

“If passed into law, the bill will enable the government to recognise Traditional Medicine (TM) practitioners with a view to assisting them in their research findings. This will help the country to benefit from the green economy already being enjoyed in several countries of the world.”