RSG Dismisses Amaechi’s Allegations Against CJN …Says Ex-Gov Is A Serial Blackmailer

President, Rotary Club of Port Harcourt, Rtn Ferdinand Banigo (right), being decorated by former President of the Club, Rtn Harrison Dan, during the President’s induction ceremony in Port Harcourt, last Saturday.
Photo: Obinna Prince Dele

The Rivers State Government has dismissed allegations credited to the former Governor of the state, Chibuike Amaechi, that Governor Nyesom Wike is forging documents to secure his conviction in a court of competent jurisdiction in the country.
In a statement signed by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, yesterday, the government dismissed the allegation as unfounded, baseless, and a figment of the imagination of the former governor.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a reckless press statement credited to the embattled Minister of Transportation and former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to the effect that Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike is forging documents to secure his conviction in a court of law. This allegation is unfounded, baseless and a figment of the imagination of the former governor.
“The minister also went ahead to falsely allege that the Rivers State governor bragged that he has the judiciary at the state and federal levels in his pocket to secure his conviction on charges of corruption. This is another false allegation, merely concocted by the former governor to distract attention from the crimes he committed against Rivers people, by diverting their resources.
“This press statement issued by Rotimi Amaechi is part of the campaign of calumny launched by the former governor, following the foundation stone laid by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen for the construction of the Rivers State Judges’ Quarters. The former governor sponsored advertorials and electronic adverts through proxies to stop the laudable project without success, hence, the resort to falsehood and character assassination.
“We are not surprised by Amaechi’s antics to blackmail the Judiciary. Ever since the Supreme Court victory that validated the election of the governor, Amaechi has never failed to malign the Judiciary.
“Wike is a law-abiding citizen, who believes in the rule of law. That is why he has followed due process in tackling the issues of high-level corruption against the minister of transportation.
“Rivers State governor, in line with the extant laws of Rivers State, set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry that investigated the sale of valued assets of the state by the Amaechi administration. The constitution of that panel was challenged by the former governor at the state High Court and the Court of Appeal. Both courts upheld the establishment of that panel. The former governor has since approached the Supreme Court on appeal. Rather than await the verdict of the apex court, in his usual manner, Amaechi has resorted to political blackmail and falsehood. As usual, this will fail.
“It is imperative to declare that the Judicial Commission of Inquiry that investigated the sale of valued assets of the state sat in the public. All the documents about the fraud of that administration were circulated in the public domain with writing about the activities of the commission, publishing tendered documents. Nothing was hidden from the people of the state.
“Rivers State Commission of Inquiry into the sale of valued state assets and other related matters headed by Justice George Omereji received 442 exhibits, 27 memoranda while 25 witnesses testified before it.
“The Judicial Commission of Inquiry indicted the former governor and confirmed that N53billion was diverted by Amaechi and his officials.
“The above statistics are relevant for the public to understand the scope of work by the judicial commission of inquiry. It received 27 memoranda while 25 witnesses testified. These memoranda came from different organisations and individuals who were directly involved in the issues that were investigated.
“We have very credible documents to prove the mass corrupt acts of the minister of transportation against the good people of Rivers State.
“We also saw a reckless post by Amaechi’s associate, Mr Igo Aguma, trying to denigrate the Judiciary. This is most unfortunate.
“Amaechi’s sponsorship of Mr Livingstone Wechie will not change the facts that are known to all Nigerians. All documents tendered at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry that investigated the sale of valued assets of the state by the Amaechi administration are genuine.
“Amaechi is being haunted by his ugly past. He locked up the courts for two years, forgetting that he was a beneficiary of the courage of the Judiciary.
“Amaechi should respect the Judiciary as a courageous arm of government that works in line with the tenets of the law.
“Without equivocation, Wike stands by his declaration on the Rivers funds found at the notorious Ikoyi residence. Nothing has changed.
“Wike will not be distracted by this reckless and unfortunate blackmail of the Judiciary by Amaechi. At the appropriate time, the immediate past governor of Rivers State will be brought to justice. He is assured of fair trial,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has described immediate past governor, Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi as a serial blackmailer, accusing him of being bent in truncating good governance in Rivers State.
Speaking while addressing the 106th Quarterly Meeting of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council at Government House, last Monday, in Port Harcourt, Wike accused the ex-governor of always running down the judiciary when judgments and rulings don’t go in his favour.
He cited the remarks made by Amaechi during the visit of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen to the state to lay foundation for Judges’ Quarters, which was described by Amaechi as an act of compromise by the Chief Justice.
The governor also carpeted Amaechi for his remarks and behaviour during the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo’s visit, last Thursday.
Wike, while carpeting Amaechi for his frequent outbursts capable of causing disaffection, said, “There is no time that this young man has not blackmailed the judiciary but he was the biggest beneficiary of the judicial process. For the first time, he became a governor without contesting elections.”
The governor explained that instead of leaving the state at peace after leaving office and concentrating on his ministerial duties, Amaechi had always promoted crisis through his political activities and utterances.
He reminded the ex-governor that, “Nobody owns this state, and it is for all of us. Some people will not allow other people to sleep but want to use their position to destroy the state.”
Wike noted that the revocation of the certificate of occupancy of Novotel Hotel being used by the ex-governor and his followers to cause unrest and political disharmony was done to ensure sanity.
“I will not allow that again to happen. The problem of this country is the inability of the electorate to choose the right people who will lead them.”
Wike further challenged Amaechi over the various state assets that were sold without recourse to transparency and accountability, arguing that the ex-governor, in the quest to kill the matter, had failed twice in the courts.
He said that Amaechi’s attempt to blackmail the CJN was because the matter was now in the Supreme Court.
In his speech earlier, Chairman of the State Traditional Rulers Council, King Dandeson Douglas Jaja urged the governor to continue with his good works.
He urged Wike to make sure that the planned exit of Shell Petroleum Development Company from the state was averted, since that will affect the economy and the people of the state.
Similarly, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has for the first time, spoken in reaction to claims made by Livingstone Wechie that forged documents were used in investigating former governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi on the sale of Rivers State assets.
Wike, in his address at the 106th Quarterly Meeting of Traditional Rulers Council in Port Harcourt, said the documents were genuine and not forged as claimed by Wechie.
The governor also challenged the public to check the facts of the documents, which he said were available in the public domain.