The controversial section 484 of the Imo State Administration of Criminal Justice Law No 2 of 2020, which stipulated that the governor can detain any person at his pleasure was Wednesday amended by the lawmakers of the Imo State House of Assembly.
The law now read s that the governor can detain a person on the orders of the court.
Section 485 of the same law was also amended to read that: “the governor can detain persons of unsound mind or minors on the orders of the court and not any person he likes.
The bill to that effect was an executive bill brought to the house by the Deputy Majority Leader, Hon Emeka Nduka of Ehime Mbano State Constituency.
In his reaction, the lawmaker representing Ideato North State Constituency, Hon Arthur Egwim said with the amendment, “Imo people should understand that the governor cannot just wake up and detain anybody at his discretion”, while Hon Dominic Ezerioha of Oru West State Constituency pointed out that the ambiguity associated with the law had finally been removed and made simple for Imo people to understand the real message of the law.
Hon Uju Onwudiwe Njaba State Constituency then commended the governor for listening to the people and sending the amendment to the house for consideration.
Commenting on the amendment, the Minority Leader, Hon Anyadike Nwosu of Ezinihitte State Constituency reminded them that when the opposition pointed out that some aspects of the bill was obnoxious, some lawmakers stood against them because they felt that it came from the opposition.
He advised his fellow lawmakers not to think again that because he and others were in the minority that they were not in a position to tell the governor to do the right thing.
He further said that at times, things were subjected to proper debate in order to arrive at the merit of the case.
While Hon Ngozi Obiefule of Isu State Constituency said “when things are going wrong it is the duty of lawnakers to point them out.” She made it clear that she was one of those who kicked against the obnoxious nature of the Section and insisted that it must be corrected. She commended the governor for not listening to some sycophants in the house but the voice of reason.
The sponsor of the original bill, Hon Frank Ugboma of Oguta State Constituency simply advised his colleagues to study the bill very well and not to be in a hurry to pass it to avoid going into controversial circumstances again.
