Tam-George Challenges PCC On Corruption Fight …Flays Oyegun Over Comments On Rivers, Judiciary

The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr Austin Tam-George, has challenged the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) to be holistic and extend its efforts in redressing injustices in the country to the structural denial of the Niger Delta region from controlling its naturally-endowed resources by the Federal Government.
The commissioner gave the charge yesterday when the PCC’s Federal Commissioner in the State, Dr Alpheaus Paul-Worika visited him in his office in Port Harcourt.
Tam-George, who lauded the campaign for justice by the commission, and also the anti-corruption crusade of the present Federal Government, said it was not enough to neglect in the campaign, the structural corruption against the people of the region.
He described as unfair and unacceptable to the Niger Delta people a situation where 75% of the federation account comes from oil money from the  area alone, whereas the people have to run to Abuja to obtain oil mining licences.
The commissioner decried the Land Use Act which he noted, guarantees this theft, and called for the practice of true federalism where states or regions would be allowed to control their resources just as it is obtainable all over the world.
He equally noted that the past administration in the state led by Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, was fraught with colossal corruption, remarking that the former governor received over N3 trillion within the eight years he was in office but refused to render any account to Rivers people by giving a hand over note to his successor.
‘I worry that an institution as this exists, yet, such impunity took place. Courts were closed and 3,000 lawyers couldn’t operate. I had to wonder if PCC took this into account”, he said
He also listed the closure of  the State House of Assembly, hiring of over 13,000 teachers and owing them twelve months salaries, wastage of N60billion on Monorail project, passage of 2013 state budget in less than 30 minutes, owing of three months salaries to civil servants, amongst others as acts of impunity committed by the past governor, which the Public Complaints Commission ought to investigate to give justice to the people who own the money.
Tam-George described Paul –Worika as a person passionate about justice, and promised that his ministry would collaborate with PCC in redressing the injustices in the state.
Earlier, the PCC boss, Dr Alpheaus Paul-Worika,  congratulated the commissioner on his appointment and the vigour with which he was discharging his duty.
He said PCC is a philosophy of due process which seeks that things be done according to the law and orderly, but that since its 40 years of establishment, people of the state were yet to key into it in resolving their cases of injustices.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr Austin Tam-George, has taken a swipe against the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) over his comment on the Supreme Court’s judgement that upheld the election of Chief Nyesom Wike as the duly elected Governor of Rivers State.
Oyegun was reported in the media to have expressed shock over the Supreme Court’s ruling, stating that, ‘we have lost very important resource-rich states to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), no matter how curde oil prices have fallen, it is still the most important revenue earner for the country, there is something obviously, fundamentally wrong in Rivers State which needs to be investigated”.
Speaking with newsmen in an interview in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, described Oyegun’s comment as an insult to Rivers State and the entire Niger Delta region, and pointed out that the APC’s tendency to criminalise the Supreme Court was disregard for the rule of law and the principle of justice.
“What we are seeing is the spread of political fundamentalism, the APC wants to seize more territories, any state not controlled by the APC is a target to be exploited by deceptive measures”, he stated.
Tam-George said the APC leadership should stop imposing its tyranny of mere will on the people of Rivers State, and called on Rivers people to remain calm and be vigilant against the extremist tendencies of the APC.
He said the APC leadership was bereft of any genuine policy to fix the development challenges of the country, but was only concerned about unfeltered access to the natural resources of the Niger Delta region.
Meanwhile, Tam-George has also called for regional integration among the Niger Delta states to ensure sustainable spread of development across the region.
According to the commissioner, such integration will unite the people of the region and check the tendency of polarisation advanced by the APC in the region.
He called on the governors of Niger Delta States to shun impunity and deliver quality service to the people.
Tam-George, commended Governor Wike for his commitment toward delivery of quality projects in Rivers State, and urged other Niger Delta governors to borrow a cue from Wike.

Chris Oluoh & Taneh Beemene

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr.Ipalibo Harry- Banigo (left), in a warm embrace with the wife of the State Governor, Justice, Eberechi Suzette Wike, during a meeting/workshop on Women Empowerment and Sustainable Development in Port Harcourt, recently.