Probing Wike’s Administration Will Enable State Recover Funds For Developmental Projects – CSOs

Coalition of Civil Society Organisations on Wednesday declared support for the move by Governor Similanayi Fubara of Rivers State to probe the immediate past administration in the state, Nyesom Wike. The Coalition asserted that probing administration of Nyesom Wike will enable the state to recover funds to support the state developmental projects. Comrade Declan Ihekaire […]

Coalition of Civil Society Organisations on Wednesday declared support for the move by Governor Similanayi Fubara of Rivers State to probe the immediate past administration in the state, Nyesom Wike.

The Coalition asserted that probing administration of Nyesom Wike will enable the state to recover funds to support the state developmental projects.

Comrade Declan Ihekaire made this known while speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, noting that probing Wike is an indication that Fubara has the interest of the people at heart.

Ihekaire said: “We are in full support of Governor Fubara probing and investigating the immediate past administration in the state.

“Even though the Governor was past of the administration but probing the Wike-led government is an indication that Fubara has the interest of the people at heart.”

On his part, the President of the Society for Open Justice in Nigeria, Oloyede Kadiri, raised an alarm over a move by a faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly to upturn an interim injunction by a Rivers State High Court, restraining the Martin Amaewhule-led faction from parading themselves as legislators.

Kadiri said the former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule had devised extra-legal means to upturn the Rivers State High Court ruling.

“The Martin Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly has elected to throw caution yo the wind.

“We have it on good authority of their efforts towards turning the law on its head through extra-judicial means. This indeed portends grave danger for democracy in Rivers state and Nigeria.

“This group of former lawmakers, with the backing of some forces in Abuja, have made overtures to the Justices of the Appeal Court to upturn the ruling of the Rivers State High Court restraining the 25 defendants from meeting/sitting at the auditorium of the House of Assembly Quarters or any other place whatsoever to purport to carry out the legislative business of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”

The group also warned the 25 former lawmakers to desist from political blackmail and other acts that have disrupted governance in the state.

“The group of 25 former lawmakers must realize that their actions in the last year have been embarrassing and made River State a laughing stock.

“They have elected to dance to the dictates of their patron and pledged their loyalty to him rather than the people of Rivers state.

“Their actions also beg the question of what their primary motive is. To serve the people of Rivers State or to serve a master who has vowed to continue to deprive the people of Rivers State the dividends of democracy.

“The Society for Open Justice in Nigeria is alarmed at such tendencies by a group elected by the people, but whose body and soul have been sold to the devil in exchange for a plate of porridge.”

The group further called on the Justices of the Appeal Court to resist the overtures to compromise and give a ruling in favour of the 25 lawmakers.

Recall that there has been a running battle for controlling the Rivers State House of Assembly, with 25 former lawmakers loyal to the former governor of the state decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Justice CN Wali of the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt issued an interlocutory injunction, barring Amaewhule and associated lawmakers from further sitting and parading themselves as members of the state House of Assembly, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.