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Closure Of Courts By Amaechi, Coup Against Judiciary, Wike Insists
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has described the closure of courts in the state for nearly two years by the immediate past administration of Chibuike Amaechi as a coup against the Judiciary.
He regretted that Nigeria was the only country where those who violate the sanctity of the third arm of government go unpunished.
The governor made the assertion at the New Year state banquet held in Government House, Port Harcourt, last Sunday night.
Wike said it was preposterous for his predecessor, who closed courts for almost two years and denied people access to justice, to claim that Rivers State had been badly governed since 2015.
“There will be bad administration, if there is no good governance. What is good governance? There cannot be good governance if it is not predicated on the rule of law and due process. Who can you actually accuse of bad administration? We came to this state in 2015. There was no court.
“There was a coup against the third arm of government. It is only in Nigeria where you can stage a coup against the Judiciary and you will go free. Nobody can stage coup against the Judiciary in any developed society and go scot free. You can never. You deny people liberty; and access to justice.”
Wike said it was ludicrous for Amaechi, whose eight years’ reign in office epitomised maladministration, to accuse his government that was hinged on rule of law, of bad governance.
“I am happy that even if we did not achieve anything, we did not shut down the courts. I did not drag the Legislature to Government House to pass budgets.”
He took a swipe at the National Assembly for confirmation of Amaechi as a minister, despite his atrocious attacks against the Judiciary while as governor of Rivers State.
“You suffered a whole state not to have access to justice, and nobody is saying anything. It is only in this country where I see parliament can even screen somebody to be a minister that had shut the gates of justice.”
According to the governor, “We came, opened the courts. Who was the first person that rushed to court when the courts were opened? The same man who closed the courts, the man who denied other people liberty.”
He observed that Amaechi often bragged about building modern secondary schools while in office.
According to him, a report of the Rivers State Economic Advisory Council set up by Amaechi had denounced sitting of the schools in locations far from the communities.
The governor noted that any government that provides the people infrastructure, but denied them liberty and access to justice could best be described as a failed government.
Wike reiterated that Amaechi was yet to account for the $308million proceeds from the sales of the state gas turbine power stations to Sahara Energy, which was co-founded by Rivers State’s All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Tonye Cole.
“Who’s behind Sahara? The one he is presenting to be governorship candidate.”
The Rivers State governor said if Amaechi had conscience, he would not meddle in the affairs of a state that he wasted N54billion of her resources on the now abandoned 1.1 kilometres monorail project.
Wike listed the dualised Saakpenwa-Bori-Kono Road, Ahoada-Omoku Road, Egbema-Omoku Road, Nigerian Law School, Port Harcourt Campus, Trans-Kalabari Road and several other projects as some of his landmark achievements, adding that, “To the glory of God, we have done very well.”
The governor commended the legislative and judicial arms of government for working in synergy with the executive for the collective good of Rivers people.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.