A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri on Tuesday granted the former Minister of Interior, retired Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho, leave to serve the Imo State Commissioner for Works, Mrs. Josephine Udorji, and her counterpart in Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, Lawrence Eburuo, who allegedly evaded service to be now served through substituted means.
Also to be served through substituted means is the Director of Works, Government House, Arch. Emeka Duru.
The service will be published by an Owerri-based tabloid, The Trumpeta.
This followed a motion by Lesie Njemanze Esq, counsel to Capt. Iheanacho, seeking to serve the defendants through substituted means over contempt and continued disobedience to court order.
Njemanze argued that hence the affected persons have continued to disobey court orders as well as evade service on contempt, it has become expedient to grant a relief to ensure they are served through substituted means.
Counsel to the defendants, J.C Ibe Esq., a Deputy Director in the State Ministry of Justice, however, opposed the motion on the grounds that the issue of jurisdiction as raised by the defendants should be determined before further proceedings.
She further argued that issues of jurisdiction should be determined to avoid a situation the court grants orders that may negatively affect the defendants.
In his ruling Justice Lewis Allagoa frowned at the continued disobedience to orders of the court, adding that the integrity of the court is seriously threatened by the actions of the defendants.
He added that though the issue of jurisdiction had been raised by the defendants, such motion under the law does undermine the powers of the court or create scenario where orders of the court will be disobeyed.
He therefore adjourned the matter to March 13 with a caveat that no motion will be entertained by counsel to the defendants if the affected persons fail to appear before the court.
News Express reports that an Owerri Federal High Court had ordered the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, to arrest the Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Works, Dr. Chibuzor Iwuagwu, and the Director of Civil Works in the ministry, Engr. C.E. Egboka, and bring them to the court on January 30, 2017 for refusing to appear before the court and show cause why they should not be committed to prison.
The warrant of arrest came after the court issued summons on five officials of the State Government to appear before it following their disobedience to its earlier order restraining them from demolishing the property of Iheanacho along Orlu Road, Owerri.
