By Our Correspondent
MINISTER FOR TRANSPORTATION CHIBUIKE AMAECHI GOES TO SUPREME COURT OVER N96B, SALES OF RIVERS STATE PROPERTY
The Supreme Court of Nigeria comprising of 7-man juror sat on Monday 28th of February where it heard the appeal by Minister of Transportation and former Governor of Rivers state Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi against the probe panel of inquiry set up by Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers state that probed his 8-years administration. The issues for determination it was learnt include allegations of the withdrawal from Rivers State treasury of the sum of Ninety-six Billion-naira, N96B and key assets of the state sold while he the Minister was Governor of the state from October 25th, 2007 to May 29th, 2015.
Justice Olukayode Ariwoola who led the 7-man Panel of Justices after hearing the parties set aside May 27th, 2022 as Judgment delivery day. The date has two significant relationships first, it is a day the Minister for Transportation usually sets aside for his Birthday celebration and it is a day the Rivers state Government uses to celebrate the creation of the state on 27th of May, 1967.
The suit was first filed at a High Court by former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi with the intention to stop the probe of his stewardship by the Government of Nyesom Ezenwo Wike being his successor in office.
The Minister, Amaechi is praying the Supreme Court to make pronouncement declaring the action of Governor Nyesom Wike as not being right from investigating his eight-year tenure as governor of the state. With Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), leading his legal team representing the former Governor, prayed in his argument for the Court not to allow the Government of Rivers state led by Governor Wike to investigate his administration stating that the action of the Rivers state Government is based on malice and witch-hunting which constitute total embarrassment of the serving Minister of Transportation in view of the lingering political differences between the two politicians.
Few months upon taking over the realms of administration of Rivers state Governor Wike constituted a 7-man probe panel with Justice George Emereji who headed the probe panel of Inquiry.
In the Supreme Court sitting on Monday 28th of February, 2022 Governor Wike through his counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Emmanuel Ukala, however, asked the Apex Court to dismiss Amaechi’s suit. Thus, in his argument, OKALA insisted that the Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice George Omereji was set up to look into how N96B was allegedly withdrawn from the treasury of the State Government and how it was expended.
The learned Council averred that the aim of the Commission of Inquiry was to look into the legality or otherwise of the sales of valuable assets of the State.
Details of the sold valuable properties of Rivers state Government included the Omoku Gas Turbine; Afam Gas Turbine; Trans Amadi Gas Turbine; Eleme Gas Turbine; Olympia Hotel and the award of contract for the execution of the Monorail Project.
Before the matter went to Supreme Court, the Minister for Transportation Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi had first approached High Court of Rivers State with a law suit and Court of Appeal but he had all dismissed which necessitated his going to the apex Court seeking ways of throwing the outcome of the Justice George Emereji’s Probe panel.