Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has approved the resolution of the State House of Assembly that Sir Celestine Omehia should get derecognized as a former governor.
With the governor’s approval of the resolution, Omehia will no longer be addressed as ‘His Excellency’ while he will also kiss accruable rights and benefits goodbye
Team@orientactualmags.com learned Wike signed the resolution at the Executive Council Chambers of the Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday after it was presented to him by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Zacchaeus Adangor.
It will be recalled that the house of assembly during a plenary session on Thursday had reversed the decision taken seven years ago, and declared that Omeiha should henceforth not be recognized as a former governor.
The governor noted on Friday that he had always respected resolutions of the State House of Assembly and had never had any reason to disagree with the parliament.
‘Yesterday (Thursday), I received a resolution from the Assembly derecognizing Sir Celestine Omehia, who had enjoyed the privileges of a former governor of the state.
But you will recollect that sometime in 2007/2008, my predecessor, His Excellency Chibuike Amaechi, did not recognize Sir Celestine Omehia as a former governor of the state.
When we came on board, there were issues and the Assembly felt that, having served as a governor, he should enjoy the status of a former governor. I’ve always respected the resolutions of the Assembly. I’ve never (for) one day disagreed with anything the Assembly has sent to me’ he said.
Governor Wike noted that the strength of information currently available to the state House of Assembly compelled it to reverse the decision taken in 2015.
‘The leader of the House said they have better facts and what are the facts? The facts are that the Supreme Court judgment categorically stated that Sir Celestine Omehia was never a governor, because he never stood for any election and that it will be inappropriate for their (Assembly) legacy that they didn’t respect the judgment of the Supreme Court.
In this part of the country, people will praise you when it suits them, but when you do the uncommon thing, people will not praise you.
I had to call the Attorney General for him to give me his legal opinion with regard to the resolution of the Assembly, and rightly the Attorney General said they (Assembly) are right.
That in the first instance, the recognition was extra-judicial; that the Assembly has no power to change the judgment of any court, let alone (that of) the Supreme Court. So, people should understand and not to begin to play politics’ he added.
Omehia had served as governor of the state between 29 May 2007 and 25 October 2007.
‘In the eye of the law, the appellant (Amaechi) remains the candidate of the PDP and is deemed to have won the election and should be so sworn in immediately’ Aloysius Katsina-Alu, who read the unanimous decision of the seven-man panel of Supreme Court justices that sacked Omehia as Rivers state governor, had submitted on 25 October 2007.
Mr Rotimi Ameachi , who was then the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, had though won the PDP guber primary election ahead of the 2007 Rivers state gubernatorial election, the party however submitted Omehia’s name to INEC as substitute for Ameachi. Celestine Omehia, who is Ameachi’s cousin, was eventually declared as winner of the guber election.
Ameachi had consequently taken a legal action to oppose the decision taken by the party which eventually resulted in his court victory.
Whilst in office, Ameachi had refused to recognize Omehia as a former governor but Mr Nyesom Wike on becoming the governor had immediately taken steps to correct the situation and on June 30, 2015 , the state House of Assembly took necessary steps to have Omehia recognized as a former governor.
Speaker Ikwuinyi Ibani had noted that Omehia proclaimed the 6th Assembly as a governor and should therefore be recognized as a former governor.
Omehia is one of the PDP bigwigs supporting former PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus against Governor Nyesom Wike.
He is also one of the party stalwarts asking the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to ignore Wike.
Many had leapt to conclusions that the action taken by the Rivers state House of Assembly on Thursday could be likened to the case of ‘the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob’- Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980. Thank you
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