thisday0520

10 WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2015 • THISDAY
NEWS
Court Dismisses Amaechi’s Suit against
Wike’s Inauguration
AGF directs Bayelsa Chief Judge to swear in governor-elect
Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt
and Tobi Soniyi in Abuja
Efforts by the All Progressives
Congress (APC) and Rivers State
Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, to
stop the inauguration of the State
governor-elect, Chief Nyesom
Wike, as the state governor
on May 29 suffered a set-back
yesterday as the Federal High
Court sitting in Owerri Imo State,
struck out a suit instituted by
the governor.
The state Attorney General
and Commissioner for Justice,
Mr. Worgu Boms, and the APC
had in suit number FHC/OW/
CS/100/2015 asked the court to
stop the inauguration of Wike
and the deputy governor-elect,
Dr. Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, on
May 29.
But at the sitting of the court
yesterday, the presiding judge,
Justice S. M. Shuaibu, struck out
the matter on the grounds that
his court lacked jurisdiction to
entertain the matter.
Counsel to Amaechi and the
APC, Beluolisa Nwofor (SAN),
had argued that the court could
hear the suit as the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) that
was listed as the third defendant,
the police (listed as the eighth
defendant) and the Department
of State Security (DSS), listed as
the 10th defendant, all had offices
in Owerri.
Shuaibu however did not buy
the argument.
He held that by the provisions
of the Federal High Court 2011,
notice on the venue of filing suits
and the territorial jurisdictional
limits of the judicial divisions of
the Federal High Court enacted
by the Chief Judge of the Federal
High Court pursuant to section
19 of the Federal High Court Act,
Port Harcourt and not Owerri
is the place in which the suit
ought to have been filed.
The judge said it was so
because all the principal claims
in the suit are against Wike, and
Harry-Banigo.
Reacting to the ruling, the
Chairman of the PDP in Rivers
State, Felix Obuah, praised the
judiciary for rising up to the
occasion as the true hope of
the common man.
He noted that Amaechi was
a creation of the judiciary as a
court judgment put him in office.
He, however, said the governor
had shown only one agendum
since he came to power: ridiculing
and destroying the judiciary.
He stated that Wike and the
PDP were ready to meet the
governor in any court of law.
Obuah welcomed what
he described as sound and
unambiguous judgment delivered
in Owerri by a Federal High
Court, presided over by Justice
S. M. Shuaibu in favour of Wike,
over his swearing in ceremony
billed for May 29.
“The PDP expresses gratitude
to the judiciary over the failure
of Amaechi and the APC,
through his Attorney-General,
to secure judgment in the matter
through the back door, which it
believes would have truncated
the democratic process in the
state,” he said.
Obuah said he felt disturbed
over the desperation exhibited
by the out-going governor which
clearly shows his exceeding hate
for the governor-elect, even when
everyone is expecting a robust
peace in the state.
He said: “For us, the Owerri
Federal High Court judgment
clearing way for the inauguration
of the PDP government and
swearing-in of the governorelect,
Wike, on May 29 has
further strengthened our hope
and conviction that no matter
the distractions and destructive
tendencies of the out-going
Amaechi-led administration in
the state, the PDP government
under Wike will still succeed.
“The PDP is therefore of the
view that rather than wasting
its time and Rivers peoples’
resources on fruitless court
cases and non-productive actions
aimed at thwarting the smooth
inauguration of the incoming
Jonathan Won’t Dissolve
Cabinet Today, Says Minister
Adebiyi Adedapo in Abuja
The Minister of Information,
Patricia Akwashiki, has disclosed
that President Goodluck Jonathan
will not dissolve the Federal
Executive Council (FEC) today as
reported in the media.Akwashii
in a statement yesterday refuted
report by a national newspaper
(not THISDAY) which quoted
her as saying President Jonathan
would dissolve his cabinet today.
The minister noted that she
did not at anytime speak to
journalists on the dissolution
of FEC, adding that the news
was a rude shock.
“The Information Minister
therefore urges the public to
disregard the tendentious report
as false and malicious, which only
exists in the warped imagination
of its authors,” the statement said.
The report had quoted
a presidency source as saying
the president would dissolve
the cabinet after a valedictory
session scheduled to hold inside
the Council Chambers of the
Presidential Villa today.
The report also stated that all
the ministers had received letters
from the president last Friday
thanking them for serving their
fatherland.
The report stated that today’s
FEC meeting would be the last
in the life of the administration
of President Jonathan, and that
the president would use the
opportunity to thank his cabinet
members and request prayers
for the country.
According to the report, “At
the valedictory council session,
prayers would also be offered
for the incoming government of
Muhammadu Buhari.”
The report stated further
that Jonathan had directed all
ministers to hand over the affairs
of their various ministries to their
respective permanent secretaries.
government, Amaechi is better
advised to channel his energies
in joining the administration of
Wike in building a united Rivers
State.
“Amaechi and the APC should
allow peace reign in the state
by not distorting the anticipated
smooth handover of government
to the PDP in the state on May
29, which is sacrosanct, as the
party cannot wait to deliver to
the people of the state what it
promised them and many more
after being inaugurated.”
Meanwhile, the Attorney
General of the Federation and
Minister for Justice, Mohammed
Adoke (SAN), yesterday said he
had directed the Chief Judge of
Bayelsa State to swear in Wike,
as governor of Rivers State.
In a statement issued in
Abuja yesterday, Adoke said the
directive was aimed at averting
a likely constitutional crisis in
the state on May 29 when Wike
is expected to be sworn in as
governor of the state.
Wike was declared winner of
the Rivers State governorship
election conducted by the
Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) on April
11.
It is therefore expected that
he will be sworn into Office
on May 29, 2015 in accordance
with the provisions of section
185(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
The statement from the AGF
said: “It is however pertinent
to draw public attention to
the existing vacuum in the
Office of the Chief Judge of
Rivers State, as well as, the
Office of the President of the
Customary Court of Appeal
in the state.
State which has made
strict compliance with the
requirements of section 185(1)
and (2) of the 1999 Constitution
virtually impossible.
“In order to avert a likely
constitutional crisis in Rivers
State on May 29 when the
governor-elect is expected to
be sworn in as governor of
Rivers State, I have requested
the Chief Judge of Bayelsa
State to administer the oath of
allegiance and oath of office
on the governor-elect of Rivers
State in accordance with section
185(2) of the Constitution 1999,
which provides as follows: ‘The
oath of allegiance and the oath
of office shall be administered by
the Chief Judge of the State or
Grand Khadi of the Sharia Court
of Appeal of the state, if any,
or President of the Customary
Court of Appeal of the state, if
any,or the person for the time
being respectively appointed to
exercise the functions of any of
those offices in any state.’
“The public, particularly
the government and people
of Rivers State, are hereby
invited to take note of this
development and appreciate the
fact that the invitation extended
to the Chief Judge of Bayelsa
State to administer the oath of
allegiance and oath of office
on the governor-elect of Rivers
State on May 29 is in accordance
with the constitution and should
therefore be respected by all and
sundry.”
FIGHT NO MORE
L-R:Chairman,Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill
Akpabio, at the NGF reconciliation meeting in Abuja...Monday
ECOWAS: Jonathan’s Place in Nigeria’s Democratic
History Special
Jaiyeola Andrews in Abuja
The Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS)
yesterday said with the peaceful
conduct of 2015 general election
in Nigeria, and President
Goodluck Jonathan conceding
defeat, Jonathan’s place in
Nigeria’s democratic history
will remain special.
Chairman of the Authority of
Heads of State and Government
of ECOWAS and president of
Ghana, John Mahama Dramani,
stated this during the opening
address at the 47th Ordinary
Session of the authority held
in Accra, Ghana.
The Ghanaian president
equally congratulated the
president-elect, Muhammadu
Buhari on his victory at the
presidential polls.
“Ladies and gentlemen, at our
summit, I informed you that five
member states of our sub-region
would hold election this year.
We are extremely proud of the
elections held so far in two of
our member states.
“I salute the people of Nigeria
and Togo for the peaceful
elections held in those countries.
This sends a strong message to
the world that our protocol on
democracy and good governance
is effective and has strengthened
the rule of law in our sub-region.
“Let me on your behalf
take this opportunity to highly
commend our brother, President
Jonathan, for his personal show
of mature statesmanship in
the event that followed the
presidential election held in
Nigeria.
“I believe his name will be
recorded in a special place
when the history of Nigeria’s
democracy comes to be written.
“Let me also on this occasion
salute Buhari for his victory
in the presidential election,”
Dramani said.
He said the atrocities of
the terrorists group, Boko
Haram,was unrivaled but
commended the success
recorded in the war against
the group.
The Ghanaian leader
expressed regret over the
continued stay in Boko Haram
captivity, the Chibok schoolgirls,
despite the rescue of over 1,000
people.
“Last year, Nigeria and
Cameroun were caught in the
spate of terrible attacks and
atrocities by the terrorists Boko
Haram. They freely attacked
with impunity and abducted
hundreds of women and
children.
“The atrocities of this group
have remained unsurpassed by
any terrorist group anywhere
in the world. Slaughters,
beheading, rape, torture,
abductions, bombings, looting
and destruction of property
have been the hallmark of
this terrorist group.
“People, especially from
North-east Nigeria, have been
subjected to a reign of terror.
“Today, thanks to the African
Union and the multinational
Joint Task Force formed by
the Lake Chad Basin countries,
a lot of progress has been
made in the fight against the
Boko Haram sect.
“We are pleased to note the
success in liberating the territories
that Boko Haram dominated and
the release of over 1,000 people
mostly women and children.
“The fight is however far from
over. We have not yet secured
the release of the young Chibok
girls and Boko Haram has shown
that it still has the capacity to
counter attack,” Dramani added.
He thanked Economic
Community of the Central
African States (ECAS) leadership
for their support and contribution
to the fight against Boko Haram.
Darmani noted that he looked
forward to the proposed joint
summit of ECOWAS and
ECAS to formulate a joint plan
for defeating and eventually
eliminating the insurgents’ threat.
In a message by the Secretary
General, Ban Ki Moon, read
by his Special Representative,
Muhammed Ibn Chambas,
he lauded Jonathan for his
contributions to regional peace
and security.
“As this marks the final
summit of President Goodluck
Jonathan, I wish to send our
sincere appreciation for his
valuable contributions to regional
integration, maintenance of peace
and security in West Africa, most
notably in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea
and Mali,” he stressed.