The Rivers State govern- ment says the decision to rehabilitate the brief-time governor of Rivers State, Celestine Omehia, with status of an ex-governor with full entitlements was not a matter for the courts.
Omehia’s commissioner of information, Emma Okah, now commissioner of housing, said in Port Harcourt that those linking the decision with the Supreme Court verdict that removed the then gov- ernor were wrong as he said it only required political action.
Governor Nyesom Wike had started huge controversy last week as he restored full rights to Omehia and returned his portraits on the walls of the Government Hall.
Wike and Omehia who were rivals had found themselves on one political camp in the push to oust Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
Okah, who was particularly irked by the position of the former president of the Nigerian Bar As- sociation (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba, said a state government had the powers to confer an advantage on anybody without reference to any court judgment.
He wondered why such a reconciliatory and uniting action should annoy anybody.
Okah said: “This is purely a political concession, far away from the courts. There must be an end to acrimony and bitterness or politics of hate. As a people, we should encourage harmony, peace and consensus building so that we can put the agony of yesterday behind us and together, move the state to greater heights. In all jurisdictions, litigants can still seek peace outside the court room or even after judg- ment and such agreements calm frayed nerves and heal wounds better and faster”.
According to Okah, a time comes when as leaders, you need to think outside the box to solve political problems and create happiness for the people.
“Nigeria did the same for Ernest Shonekan who headed the Interim Govern- ment which the Court declared as illegal. In Ekiti State, Governor Ayo Fayose accorded similar recogni- tion to Segun Oni even though the court said he was not a governor in law. People are happy with these situations and that of Rivers State cannot be different”.
Okah further said that states- men had more pressing things to worry about in Nigeria like the cur- rent developments in the National Assembly where statesmen were expected to sound their voice for democracy instead of dabbling into Rivers politics and it’s complex dynamics.
He expressed surprise that some respected Senior Ad- vocates of Nigeria (SAN) who had stood for the down-trodden over the years had decided to keep mute and played no major role to repri- mand the past administration in Rivers State that locked the courts and emasculated the judiciary for
over one year.
Okah further said such SANs and elder statesmen could still redeem their lost voice in Riv- ers State by condemning the al- leged financial recklessness and outright fraud which he said the past administration visited on the state; refusal to cooperate with the present government on handover notes; alleged looting and desecra- tion of the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt.
He noted that Wike had nothing personal against Amaechi “but the issue of accountability, due process and outright stealing of public funds especially in the last weeks of the Amaechi’s government re- quired explanation and the public has the right to know”.
Besides, Okah stated, “The peo- ple are happy that Wike is squarely facing the task of development in Rivers State despite the landmines.
Two major contractors – Julius Berger and CCECC have been contracted to rebuild all the roads in Port Harcourt City.
So far the Riv- ers State Government has opened the courts and judges, magistrates, lawyers, judiciary workers and the public are happy.
IGNATIUS CHUKWU
