Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has removed Cyprian O. C. Akaolisa, Esq from office as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of the state, with immediate effect.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued Monday by the Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Hon. Declan Emelumba, in Owerri.
According to the statement, the governor has directed Akaolisa to hand over all government property in his possession to the State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice.
“The Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, has approved the immediate removal from the office of the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. C. O. C. Akaolisa,” the statement reads.
“The erstwhile commissioner has been directed to hand over all government property under his care to the State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, immediately.”
The development has sparked surprise across political circles in the state, given Akaolisa’s longstanding affiliation with the governor and his role as a key figure in Uzodimma’s administration.
This is not the first time the legal officer has been dismissed from office. In May 2021, Governor Uzodimma dissolved his cabinet and sacked Akaolisa alongside 19 other commissioners.
However, the Attorney General was reinstated three months later in August after Emelumba announced that his earlier inclusion in the list of dismissed commissioners was a “mistake.”
Sources within government circles have hinted that Akaolisa’s frequent absence from the state and perceived inaccessibility may have contributed to his latest removal. Allegations have long circulated that the Attorney General hardly resides in Imo, raising concerns over administrative efficiency.
