The immediate past governor of Rivers state and ministerial
nominees, Rotimi Amaechi, has written three letters to the
Senate telling the upper chamber why his screening should not
be stopped.
Former governor Rotimi Amaechi
Amaechi said that all the allegations leveled against him by
his state senators were not only false but was meant to
tarnish his image and to ‘solely irritate, embarrass and
tarnish his hard-earned reputation.’
He stated that since there are pending cases at the Federal
High Court, Abuja and the Court of Appeal, any action of the
Senate to the contrary will be subjudice, The Nation reports.
The letter to the Senate written on his behalf by his lawyer,
Edward E. Pepple, states that the Senate should disregard
the petition against him by the Integrity Group and the
Justice G. G Omereji’s judicial commission of inquiry.
Amaechi’s lawyer cited the case of former vice president
Atiku Abubakar, he said that the Supreme Court had
emphasized that an indictment by the Judicial Commission
of Inquiry or Administrative Panel is not an “indictment” or
sufficient for the purpose of preventing a person from
holding a public office.
The letter that was dated October 12 and addressed to the
Senate president, Bukola Saraki read in part: “It has
informally come to our client’s attention that the Judicial
Commission of Inquiry set up by the Governor of Rivers
State, Chief/Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, to judicially
investigate our client and probe into some transactions of
the Rivers State Government undertaken during the tenure of
our client has purportedly come up with a report based on
which the Governor and Government of Rivers State have
supposedly also issued a White Paper, wherein it has
proposed that certain steps and actions should be taken
against our client.
“Of course, this is clearly in defiance of the pending suit at
the Court of Appeal on the issue.
“It is important to mention that our client only became
aware of this situation through a news bulletin aired on both
the Channels Television and the Independent African
Television (AIT). Apart from those, no other form of
communication has been sent to our client, whether directly
or indirectly.
“As had been mentioned in our earlier letters, our client is
challenging the competence and validity of the Judicial
Commission of Inquiry and its powers to make any valid or
binding decision or pronouncement as it relates to him. The
matter is pending at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt
Division, in suit No. CA/PH/342/2015; Between Rt. Hon.
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (claimant/appellant) and the
Governor of Rivers State; Attorney General of Rivers State;
Judicial Commission of Inquiry and 7 others (defendants/
respondents).
“On the 14th of July 2015, our client caused to be issued an
originating summons against the Governor of Rivers State,
the Attorney General of Rivers State, the Judicial
Commission of Inquiry and 7 others before the High Court of
Rivers State, presided over by Hon. Justice S.C. Amadi in
suit No. PHC/189/2015 between Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi
Amaechi vs. The Governor Of Rivers State & 9 Others,
wherein he challenged the competence and powers of the
Hon. Justice G.O. Omereji Judicial Commission of Inquiry to
carryout judicial function of investigating him and making
pronouncements thereof, instead of the authorities
established by law to do so. However, Hon Justice S.C.
Amadi on the 20th of August 2015 dismissed the suit on very
spurious and unjustifiable grounds. This led to the appeal
referred to above.
Meanwhile, the former governor had challenged the state
government to go to court over the report of the state
judicial commission of inquiry which has indicted him for
misappropriation of state fund.
He said that witnesses paraded by Governor Wike were
tutored on what to said and what not to say all in an
attempted to indict him wrongly. naij.com
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