The immediate past governor of Rivers State, Chibuike
Amaechi, has again explained why he is opposed to and
wants to stop the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up
by his successor, Nyesom Wike to probe some selected
government transactions, while he (Mr. Amaechi) was
governor.
In a statement released by the former governor’s media
office Sunday, Mr. Amaechi said he’s not afraid of a fair
and decent probe or investigation or inquiry of his
administration; and would cooperate and support such
probe or investigation or inquiry in as much as it’s done
within the ambit of our laws.
The statement continues:
“However what Wike has set out to do is anything but a
fair probe. The commission will not be fair to Amaechi
because it was set up to indict him.
Wike had repeatedly held that Amaechi, the person to be
investigated, acted illegally in the disbursement of public
funds and that Amaechi ran a corrupt government.
Clearly, Wike has prejudged the matter and showed his
bias that Amaechi is guilty even before investigations.
This means Wike, with his prejudiced, made up mind has
taken a position of a guilty verdict even before the
outcome is known or established.
“The same Wike who had adjudged the yet-to-be-
investigated conduct of Amaechi as illegal and Amaechi
as corrupt, is the same person that has gone ahead to
set up a commission of inquiry and will have the final
say on the findings of the commission. What a sham!”
“This bias and predetermined agenda to indict Amaechi
is obvious even in the terms of reference of the
commission.
In one of the defective terms of reference, Wike said the
Commission should investigate the circumstances that
led to the ‘sale of the state Hotel Olympia’.
“With a fair and decent probe, the Inquiry should have
been ‘to examine (or investigate) the transaction
concerning Hotel Olympia’.
The difference is so clear: In the former, jaundiced Wike’s
Term of Reference, it has been prejudiced and concluded
that the Hotel was sold, while in the latter, the Inquiry is
open and fair, and may lead to a finding of a sale or a
lease or even a gift or even a pledge.
“Now, having so concluded that Hotel Olympia was sold,
would Wike be decent and humble enough to reverse
himself if documents showed it was never sold but
concessioned or leased?
“This is one of the dangers of Wike’s commission that
harbours a predetermined outcome in the name of an
Inquiry and Amaechi will not subject himself to Wike’s
deceit and phony shenanigans.
Hotel Olympia was never sold. The hotel was only
concessioned (or leased) on the approval of the State
Executive Council and not sold.”
“Even while inaugurating his yeoman commission of
Inquiry, Wike could not conceal his vendetta agenda. He
was clear to the panel members that their job is to indict
Amaechi.
And to do this his dirty hack job, he got Justice G. O.
Omereji (the commission chairman), a man who is well
known to harbour a long-held, extreme anger, hatred and
animosity against former Governor Amaechi. And Justice
Omereji has never disguised this his stance and
disposition towards Amaechi.
“As a matter of fact, Justice Omereji even advised a
former Nigerian Bar Association(NBA) chairman in Rivers
State on measures (to take) against then Governor
Amaechi.
He had expressed his hatred for Amaechi several times
to the NBA chairman who was also an Attorney-General
of Rivers State.
How can we now expect Justice Omereji to be fair to
Amaechi, the person he passionately loathes with
extreme malice and venom?”
“Anyone who has been following events in Rivers State
knows this Wike probe is just a fraudulent sham, a
deceptive mission to indict Amaechi. Wike’s one-point
agenda is to go after his predecessor.
Immediately Wike took over, he made a show and gave a
performance of his false accusations that Amaechi
stripped the Governor’s Lodge bare, saying that the
former governor stole spoons, plates, knives, cups,
mattresses, forks and even curtains from the Governor’s
Lodge!
“However, in the images Wike showed to back his lies,
the curtains in the lodge were clearly there, seen and
intact. Again, Wike claimed he met a completely empty
treasury. That again is another big lie and grand
deception.
“This Wike’s probe is dead on arrival. It’s ill-conceived
and ill-motivated. Wike’s probe is designed to twist and
distort, or even completely alter selected legitimate
government transactions in his desperation to cook up,
and fabricate sham cases of corruption against Amaechi.
“Finally, Amaechi will continue to use every constitutional
and legal means available to protect his name and image
from this massive smear campaign, State-sponsored
onslaught against him by Wike led government whose
sole agenda is a desperate search for a Rotimi Amaechi
political downfall.”
Source: PremiumTimes
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