Imo governor inaugurates law reform commission

Reactivates DCs, launches security outfit Nov 30

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has inaugurated the state’s Law Reform Commission with a charge on members to help make laws that are 21st century-compliant.

The state government is also set to reactivate the Development Centres (DCs) across the state.

Inaugurating the five-man commission, yesterday, at the New Executive Chambers, Government House, Owerri, Uzodimma said he was committed to ensuring that the state operates with laws the people will be proud of.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser, Oguwike Nwachuku, the governor noted that there must be reform of the existing laws to reflect modern challenges.

According to Nwachuku, the commission members include the Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice, Cyprian Akaolisa (Chairman), Hon. Justice Ngozi Ukoha (rtd.), Chief Edozie Nwaugo, Simeon Azuama and Permanent Secretary/Solicitor General, Mrs. Edith Aguta (Secretary). 

Describing the members as “knowledgeable, hardworking and dedicated team players, expected to bring in their sterling qualities to bear on their duties,” Uzodimma reminded them of the need to be diligent in the task assigned to them.

“The law reform commission has a great role to play in the sustenance and strengthening of our democracy. That can be achieved by ensuring that obsolete, archaic and spent laws applicable to Imo from 1976 till date are collated and revised,” he said, charging them to “ensure that the several amendments to the various laws are harmonised and necessary revisions carried out.”

He noted that many of the provisions of the extant laws of Imo were no longer in tune with current realities, emphasising that most of the laws with penal provisions had figures that were not only unrealistic but could not serve the purpose for which they were enacted.

The governor, therefore, called on the commission to critically look at the various enactments, especially those inherited from the laws of the defunct East Central State (ECS), to have them as part of the state’s laws.  

“Continuing quoting laws of Eastern Nigeria or East Central State before our courts today does not represent the state well,” he asserted.

Responding on behalf of members of the commission, Akaolisa thanked the governor for finding them worthy of the appointment and promised that they would do their best for good result.

The decision to reactivate the DCs was reached at the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting, yesterday, where Governor Uzodimma hinted that a security outfit would be formally launched on November 30, 2021.

Briefing newsmen, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Declan Emelumba; Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftain Affairs, Chief Ruby Emele; Akaolisa and the CPS said the number of DCs in Imo would be increased from 44 to 50.

According to Emelumba, Council commended the governor for the initiatives, while supporting a supplementary appropriation of N31.9 billion sent to the House of Assembly for approval.

On the security outfit, the commissioner explained that the Council was confident that it would be a combination of vigilante and community policing model.

“The launching has become necessary to check further insecurity and make the Yuletide celebrations comfortable for Imolites both at home and in the Diaspora.”