Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, has signed into law Imo State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, No. 2 of 2020.
One of the provisions of the law expressly states that a suspect could be detained at “The Pleasure of the Governor” and must obtain licence before release.
According to Section 484 of the law, “Where any person is ordered to be detained during the Governor’s pleasure he shall notwithstanding anything in this Law or in any other written law contained be liable to be detained in such place and under such conditions as the Governor may direct and whilst so detained shall be deemed to be in legal custody.”
Section 485 further provides: “(1) A person detained during the Governor’s pleasure may at any time be discharged by the Governor on licence.
“(2) A licence under subsection (1) of this section may be in such form and may contain such conditions as the Governor may direct.
“(3) A licence under this section may at anytime be revoked or varied by the Governor and where licence has been revoked the person to whom the licence relates shall proceed to such place as the Governor may direct and if he fails to do so, may be arrested without warrant and taken to such place.”
The provisions of this law have, however, been attracting criticisms from far and wide.
Mr. Governor, the people of Imo State need and hope for good governance in an egalitarian society and not the other way round.
Imo State has had enough – from the political theatrics of ‘Iberiberism’ by former governor, Rochas Okorocha, and now philosophy of ‘Hopism’ being championed by the incumbent governor – the people deserve the best.
Idowu Sowunmi
