Magistrate Court 1 sitting in Nnobi, Idemili South local government area of Anambra State, under Chief Magistrate Kenneth Nwoye, has sent the President-General (PG) of Nnobi community, Barr Dominic-Savio Okpala to Onitsha Correctional Center (Onitsha Prison) over contempt charges.
Awuda, one of the quarters in Nnobi, had dragged the leader to court over his attempt to review the Constitution of the town allegedly against laid down procedures.
The court, then, granted the order restraining the president-general from organizing any meeting or reviewing the town’s constitution. But the PG did not only hold the meeting and reviewed the Constitution but also went ahead to submit the Constitution to Anambra State government; and also slammed a fine of two hundred thousand naira to each of the plaintiffs that dragged him to court.
When the matter came up on Tuesday, April 8, Chief Magistrate Nwoye blamed the PG for organizing the meeting of 31st December, 2024, against the order of the court. He also blamed the PG for punishing the plaintiffs by slamming fines on them for dragging him to court; saying that the PG had no powers to punish the people for seeking redress in the court of law. Chief Magistrate Nwoye, who reminded the PG that Contempt of Court is a criminal offence, maintained that the PG did not show remorse for his actions, and therefore, deserved no mercy.
Court, therefore, ordered that he be remanded at the Onitsha Correctional Center, pending the time he would purge himself of the contempt charges. PG trying to forcefully change community’s constitution Speaking after the court, counsel to the plaintiffs, Barr. Martins Okeke told said that the PG wanted to review the town’s constitution in December 2024, but Awuda community, through their representatives, told him that 2024 meeting was an annual representative general assembly, which lacked the power to review the constitution.
Barr Martin Okeke said…..
“Last time Quadrannial Conference was held in Nnobi was in 2023, and the next is 2027. But the PG insisted that he must review the Constitution, because, he said that the Anambra State Commissioner for Local Government and Town Matters, Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne, supported him to do so.
“But when he was preparing for the meeting for the review of the Constitution, my clients approached the court, seeking an order restraining him from doing so. But he did not only hold the meeting against the court order, but he went further to submit the said reviewed Constitution to the state government, through the commissioner. He did not end there. He went ahead to slam a fine of three hundred thousand naira to Awuda as a community; and also fined each of the three plaintiffs to the tune of two hundred thousand naira each.
“However, instead of doing what the court expected of him, he rather created a peace conference for the entire Nnobi town. Because of this, we filed an affidavit, telling the court that the PG embarked on a jamboree, because, he had no case with Nnobi as a town but with Awuda.
“So, today, the court found merit on what we’re saying. Haven convicted the PG of contempt of court on March 20th this year, the court proceeded to remand him at the prison custody, pending the time he will purge himself of the contempt charges hanging on his neck.”
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