By Osondu Ahirika
On October 25, 2007, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, in a landmark
judgment, nullified the Election of Mr. Celestine Omehia as the governor of Rivers
State.
In his stead, the former Speaker of the state
House of Assembly, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi was installed as the new governor
of the state.
Tha verdict shocked everyone, because Amaechi never stood for elections. Many
legal luminaries have expressed regret at that judgment stating that, at best
or worse, a rerun election should have been ordered. But that is history.
With the strange events happening in October 2016, we can now sniff how Amaechi
performed that magic and procured the Governorship seat.
Currently
Minister for Transport, Amaechi is living large. Simply put, he is above the
Law and struts the political landscape like a colossus. But why wouldn't he? He
is enjoying the harvest of his labour as the chief financier of President
Muhammadu Buhari's Presidential bid. Apart from bankrolling the campaign, he
was the Director General of the Buhari/Osibanjo Campaign Organization. He did a
good job of demolishing his brother-inlaw and former President, Dr Goodluck
Ebele Jonathan.
Such exertion has expectedly conferred immunity on him. He is one of the
untouchables of this administration.
On Friday
October 7, 2016, the DSS carried out their infamous raid of the homes of Judges
allegedly fingered in corrupt practices. So much has transpired ever since.
In a Letter dated October 17 and addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, one
of the supreme Court justices arrested in the raid, Justice Inyang Okoro
indicted Amaechi as the one who approached him to bribe him.
Justice Okoro revealed Amaechi said he was an
emissary of Mr President and his ruling All Progressives Congress and that the
CJN was privy to his mission. Amaechi demanded favourable judgment in the
election appeals relating to Rivers, Abia and Akwa Ibom States and according to
Okoro, promised him millions if he delivers. Okoro said he made a verbal report
of the nocturnal visit to the CJN and left it at that.
Less than 48 hours after Okoro's disclosure, another Judge, Justice Nwali
Sylvester Ngwuta, accused Rotimi Chibuike of sourcing for
favourable judgment in a 2015 election case.
Justice Ngwuta,
in a letter addressed to the CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, who doubles as
Chairman of the NJC, blamed his travails on Amaechi.
In his
letter dated October 18, 2016 letter, Ngwuta traced his ordeal to 2013 when he
alleged that Amaechi allegedly approached him at a function at the
international Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja, to set aside Ekiti State
Governor, Ayo Fayose’s election in order to make way for his (Fayose’s)
predecessor, and present Minister of Solid Minerals, Kayode Fayemi.
Justice
Ngwuta named other accomplices who also tried to bribe him as Senator Andy Uba
and Minister, Ogbonaya Onu. But, he added a telling comment, which he
ascribed as a reacton of the CJN, " Your Lordship told me Amaechi had also
attempted to influence other justices. Amaechi even reportedly told him, 'Oga
is not happy', the 'Oga' a reference to President Buhari.
As we
speak, Amaechi has dismissed both Judges claims as false, diversionary and
political. Of course, nobody will quiz Amaechi. Who dare touch the wonderkid of
the Buhari administration. Amaechi has always demonstrated he is the rockstar
of the current cabal that rules Nigeria.
As a
Guest on Rhythm 93.7 FM current Affairs Programme “View Point” in Port Harcourt
on Saturday, March 19, 2016, Amaechi boasted that he was in charge of troops
and security agents deployed for the National and State Assembly re-run in
Rivers State and dared Governor Nyesom Wike and his supporters to a duel. That
was careless. A replay of what he used to accuse Wike of doing to him as
governor. Two wrongs that does not make one right.
Nobody
called Amaechi to order.
A judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the
Rivers State Government probed and indicted Amaechi for siphoning billions from
the treasury of Rivers State. He was shielded from prosecution.
A petition was forwarded to the Senate
by Integrity Group, premised on the
indictment of Mr. Amaechi by the
Judicial Commission. The group
asked the Senate not to confirm
the former governor as a minister, having been nominated by President Buhari.
The Senate let him off the hook. They had no choice after a heated debate on
the matter.
The abandoned multi billion naira monorail in Port Harcourt is crying
testament of Ameachi's fraudulent looting of Rivers State, but the Economic and
Financial crimes Commission will not invite Amaechi, as they have, other former
governors and officials, to answer to several petitions with weighty evidence
submitted to the agency.
Now, we
have this case with the Judges and Amaechi is the prime suspect. The question
is, why is it that, no other Minister is mentioned in the saga, except Amaechi?
Is it that, both Justices hate Amaechi or they so love his name? Did Amaechi
not always boast that he will retrieve Rivers State at all cost from the
Peoples Democratic Party which won the 2015 Governorship polls there? Is the
alleged bribery scheme part of that desperation to capture the states by all
means as the APC hierarchy always boasted?
Are you
still surprised at how Amaechi became governor when he never campaigned in
2007? Folks, shine your eyes
Some
people have argued that, the revelation of the judges is belated and an
afterthought. These people argue, the judges should have spoken out then,
reported the matter to the authorities or called a press conference to expose
the bribery attempt. I agree with them, but differ on second thought.
First,
let me go with Obi Nwakanma who wrote: "Justice Inyang Okoro took
appropriate steps by promptly reporting his encounter to the Chief Justice of
Nigeria, and sought appropriately to excuse himself from the case to avoid any
taint. Bolaji Aluko's suggestion that the attempt to bribe the justices should
have been reported to the police is meaningless, because, technically no
inducement was accepted even though attempts were made. It was the prerogative
of the CJN to either report the attempt to bribe the judge to the police, or to
simply act as a wise judge, and not fall into the hot trap without compromising
the course of justice.
Just
imagine that the police had arrested Amechi and Umana in the heat of an
election petition. The political fall-out would have been far more significant
than necessary, and the judges would then truly be accused pf partisanship and
bribery. They took the wise counsel - one to recuse himself, the other to
contain the political fallout. If John Inyang Okoro's statement is true, then
he took the steps expected of an honorable judge."
I totally concur. The political backlash of such a report, at that
material time with the tension in the political space could have truncated the
polity. The Justices demonstrated maturity in restraining their expose of the
matter.
Secondly, who says the passage of time invalidates the weight of
a crime that was not reported? About ten Women are speaking up on how Donald
Trump sexually abused them over ten years ago and the reports are haunting him
in his bid to become the President of the United States of America. Indeed, a
ten year old video leak, which shows Trump making lewd, misogynist remarks
about how he gropes women effectively derailed his campaign. Who cares why the
women didn't speak up when it occurred? Did popular TV act, Bill Cosby not have
dozens of women accuse him in old age of sexually abusing them many years
ago? We could go on and on.
How about the Catholic Church that is still grappling with priests who
abused kids decades ago and are punishing them? Does anyone blame the victims
in Ireland, Italy, Argentina, America and the rest for opening up after decades
since the abuse took place? Which of them has been jailed or castigated for
waiting this long top speak up?
When women who are victims of rape or sex trafficking speak up years
after their ordeal, does society hurt them or console them? Is it not when the
wind blows that the rump of the fowl is seen? Amaechi must answer to the
weighty charges of trying to bribe judges and subvert justice. ,
if not now, then surely, he will later. If not by President Buhari, then
someday, a Pharoah who will not know Joseph cometh. Amaechi is a creation of
the judges, now he is their waterloo and is about 'crating' them into
extinction. Indeed karma is a bitch.
