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| Mr. Rotimi Amaechi |
Before this last attempt to stop ex-Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s Ministerial appointment, Governor Nyesom Wike had hurriedly iaugurated the Justice George Omereji judicial commission of enquiry which many people alleged was principally set up to indict Amaechi.
The controversy that trailed the setting up of the judicial commission of enquiry was robustly espoused by the state’s former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Worgu Boms. The position of Amaechi and his team was based on the fact that it is illegal for a governor to set up a judicial commission of inquiry.
Also, while inaugurating the commission Gov. Nyesom Wike had charged the committee to amongst other things “investigate the illegal sales of the power plants.” This statement by itself was evidence enough that a position had been taken by the Rivers State Government. Expectedly, the former governor refused to appear before the Commission, which Governor Wike and his agents, said amounted to admission of guilt.
On the series of criticism of the alleged witch-hunt, the state government had tried to justify the probe by likening it to President Buhari’s scrutiny of President Jonathan’s administration. The governor had reportedly declared “I am probing Amaechi same way Buhari is scrutinizing Jonathan's tenure”.
The Chairman of the Commission itself had himself stated “ if it was before me and sitting as a judge of a serious biting - biting court, you would have seen what is going to happen to people that are corrupt. I would have ordered the arrest of those corrupt officials who decided not to follow procedure and lock them up and maintain it.”
This comment long before all parties had appeared before him was another confirmation of their position that the Commission’s report was already been pre determined. Of course, Chairman of the Commission, Justice George Omereji did not disappoint. In submitting his report, he told an excited Governor Wike that the commission had discovered that the immediate past administration stashed away so much funds belonging to Rivers State. He had urged him to quickly take steps to get the monies returned.
Besides, many people had criticized the Commission in the sense that what it was set up to enquire are all stated in the various hand-over notes of the commissioners and heads of Departments and Agencies, with the Secretary to the State Governmnet or the various Permanent Secretaries. The attention of officials of the outgone administration should only be required for routine clarification where this may be necessary.
The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had declared the Commission of Inquiry illegal, ill-conceived and ill-motivated, saying that it lacks constitutional powers to do the work for which it was set up.
“This is, at best, a kangaroo court which was set up for the sole purpose of rubber-stamping Chief Wike’s conviction, without trial, of his estranged benefactor and the immediate past governor of the State.The party pointed out that the Commission of Inquiry Law which has been cited as the backbone of the Commission did not in any of its 23 Sections authorize the establishing of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
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