₦airaland Forum

Reports have emerged as to how the controversial judgement of the Court of Appeal on the National Assembly Elections Petitions of Rivers State which nullified all elected National Representatives of the PDP in Rivers State was procured by the Minister of Transport and former Governor of the State, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. Based on available evidence, between the 9th and 10th of December, 2015, prior to the delivery of the controversial judgment, the Abuja home of the former Governor repeatedly hosted the Chairman of the Court of Appeal Panel on Rivers State National Assembly Election, Hon. Justice A. B. Gumel, of the Court of Appeal Ibadan Division. During the visits, the Hon. Justice Gumel was at all times in the company of a renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria of North Eastern extraction, who himself is a confidant of Mr. Amaechi and the conduit by which he had been ferrying huge sums of money to induce Justices and assure them of promotions being the Chief financier of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Justice Gumel was appointed to superintend over the Rivers State National Assembly Elections Appeal Panel by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, wife to a founding member of both the CPC and the APC, Alhaji Adamu Bulkachuwa. Justice Bulkachuwa, since the commencement of sittings of the Election Petitions Tribunals has come under severe national criticism over what many term her Pro-APC leaning. In a particular instance, in Calabar of Cross River State, anti-Bulkachuwa protesters who carried placards and green leaves, dumped an empty coffin in the front of the tribunal venue, singing and shouting anti-tribunal and anti-Bulkachuwa slogans around the casket. The protesters said they were expressing their displeasure at the manner in which the National/State Assemblies Election Petitions Tribunal (Panel 1) was “deliberately” constituted to ensure that the petitions against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates never got justice. The rejectionists were of the Cross River State Diocese of Wesley Synod International African Foundation, and the Cross Rivers State Chapter of the College of Clergies in Politics. They protested “alleged crafty and wicked legal academic blunders” perfected during the tribunal’s six months sitting in Calabar and called for the cancellation of all illegalities. It is the same crafty and legal blunders that have also characterised the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the Rivers State National Assembly Elections Petitions appeal in which the elections of members of the National Assembly from Rivers State who were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were annulled on the basis of noncompliance with the electoral guidelines, chief among which was the non-use of the controversial card readers. It would be interesting to note that the same Court of Appeal in the case of Agbaje vs. Ambode and in a well-reasoned judgment delivered by Justice Obande Festus Ogbuinya held thus: “The extant Electoral Act (2010) which predates the concept (of card reader) is not its parent or progenitor. Since it is not the progeny of the Electoral Act, fronting it as a ground to challenge any election does not have its (the Electoral Act’s) blessing, nay Section 138 (1) of it. Put simply, a petitioner cannot project the non-presence or improper use of smart card reader as a ground for questioning an election. It does not qualify as one.” On the strength of the aforesaid, and without it adducing any basis founded in law to sustain its position, it then follows that with the position of the Justice Gumel led appeal panel, the Court of Appeal has been dragged down the slippery slope of judicial partisanship and veered off the hallmark and import its sworn duty to administer justice without fear or favour. Many jurists, lawyers and citizens have expressed worry over the fact that almost all tribunal judgments in PDP controlled States, especially in the South-South, have been reasonably skewed to undermine clear provisions of the law and for the benefit of the APC. Apart from the established discrepancies and conflict of judgment within the same Court of Appeal on the issue of the non-use of Card Readers, the Bulkachuwa led Appeal Court, which constituted the Tribunals is also faced with conflicting positions on the issue of 21 days compulsory notice to the Independent National Electoral Commission before the conduct of any Primary Election as mandated in S. 85(1) of the Electoral Act 2010. S. 85 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010 provides as follows: “A registered political shall give the Commission at least 21 days notice of any convention, congress, conference or meeting convened for the purpose of electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any elective offices specified under this Act.” The fundamental basis for nullifying Darius Ishyaku’s election of Taraba State was that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) didn’t comply with Section 85 of the Electoral Act, 2010, in notifying the Independent National Electoral Commission of its primaries. But on the same issue, the Appeal Court ruled differently in the appeal brought by the APC against the PDP National Assembly Candidates in Rivers State claiming that a notice served before a change in date for the Primary and without another notice served to INEC of the new date, amounted to a proper notice of the new date. Where in the world does that happen? Does this action by Justice Gumel not amount to toppling the law and turning it on its head in every material particular, and writing a judgment that is legally laughable and in the service of his President, Justice Bulkachuwa, wife to an APC chieftain, Adamu Bulkachuwa and Rotimi Amaechi, the chief financier of the APC, rather than to serve the cause of justice? Does the fragile polity deserve the combustible heat being generated by the judiciary and by effect the APC? What good does it serve to continuously dash the confidence of the people in democracy? Why should the judiciary make itself the tool to undermine justice and democracy? Are the authorities deaf and dumb and blind to these atrocities? Why do we have sacred cows who weigh down the judiciary with the burden of their corrupt practices and undermine the progress of our democracy? Why does the Adamawa-born SAN, who has been serially fingered in countless corrupt deals within the judiciary continue to go scot free? Is he higher in rank or superior to the SANs who have been debarred in the past for conducts such as his? Is this the new face of the judiciary where anything goes; the hallmark of the so-called anti-corruption government? Nigerians around the country and diplomats alike expressed disappointment with rewarding Mr. Amaechi with a ministerial appointment in spite of his being a man burdened with corruption and having cases to answer in court. With the inducement of Judges, right inside his home, the Minister for Transport has elevated the art of corruption to statecraft. What remains to be seen is a decisive action by the President to distance himself from such actions rather than endorse them with his silence. Justice Gumel is already pestering the Court of Appeal panel empaneled with the Appeal of Governor Wike and the Rivers State House of Assembly to undermine the cause of justice. How far will this riotous deviation from the norm be allowed to go? Why is the Nigerian government deliberately creating an atmosphere in which the people themselves in upholding democracy should find themselves in a situation where they are faced with the choice of resorting to self-help? Never in the history of Nigeria have we had a challenged judiciary as we currently do; and, in truth, the challenge to self-correct and remedy itself is entirely its and to its advantage. In the entire travesty that Nigeria has become, one thing has become clear, in rewarding corruption as in the case of Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, he has been empowered to expand on his enterprise and the unfortunate consequence is that this path can only lead to the destruction of our most cherished values as a people if allowed to fester. Nigerians must take back their country or there shall be none in no time.


Gift Jackson is a freelance journalist based in Abuja. He can be reached via email

11months owed by rssda in Canada alone. we never hear of the one for uk and other countries oh. I wonder wat Ameachi did with Rivers allocation.

hardywaltz:
Rivers People hope u are happy with the clown ruling over you.

My friend's younger brother is also involved.
This my Friend and his Mum hate Amaechi with a passion despite the fact it was Amaechi that sent her son abroad on merit.

Their hatred was borne solely because he wasn't supporting GEJ (My friend is from Kalabari). He even blocked me on Facebook after we had a heated argument.

He was always of the belief that once Wike becomes Governor milk and honey will follow on the streets of Port Harcourt.

Some days ago he came to my office for me to help sell his mother's landed property.

Shocked I asked him why?

He told me they needed the money to pay for his younger ones school fees in Canada.

I tried to persuade him not to sell that the State Government will come around later; that was when he informed me that they just finished a meeting with the Commissioner for Agriculture (note not Education) who told them point-blank that they should bring their children home.

I felt sorry for him coz after all the insults he dished out on social media and shouting GEJ till 2019 while Dasuki, Dokpesi and Co were collectimg Billions of Naira he ended up losing friends and got nothing in return.

Rubbish. Did u read the write up? Are u even in rivers state? Ameachi did not pay school fees or upkeep for this students for over a year. The debt is so much n the RVSG can't cope with paying it. Ameachi milked rivers state dry n sold all its assets n still got rewarded with a ministerial position. Pls get ur facts right b4 u make silly comments.

Bailout fund for rivers state? U must be high on cheap apc weed. Please go back to the information made public concerning the loan of 40billion. It was clearly stated that the IGR of the state will be used to repay the loan.

I wonder wen ppl will learn to read and understand. Wike is borrowing with his IGR to execute projects. Which means in less than four months the loan will be settled with funds from rivers IGR. For ur information u can go round rivers states to confirm dat massive construction is ongoing.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that never again will the people of the state be denied access to justice in the form of the closure of courts. Governor Wike also declared that never again will the State Judiciary be compelled to go cap in hand to the executive arm to beg for funds as his administration has instituted self accounting status for the judiciary as well established the independence of the judiciary. The governor spoke on Thursday at the Rivers State Chief Judge’s Ceremonial Court in Port Harcourt while declaring open the 2015 /2016 Legal Year. The last legal year ceremony held on 11th January, 2013 before the last administration plunged into judiciary crisis. Governor Wike stated that his administration has also released funds to the State Judiciary for capital projects in courts and judicial facilities across the state. According to him, his administration released N350m to the State High Court for capital projects , N150m to the State Customary Court of Appeal and another N200m to the High Court for additional capital projects. He additional capital funds will also be approved for the Customary Court of Appeal. He said : “As a political scientist and lawyer, I appreciate the interplay of law and politics in a democratic setting and in particular, the preeminence of law in social engineering and achieving good governance. It is the knowledge acquired from these disciplines that have made me appreciate the judiciary as one critical area for the success of our administration. “Let me remind us all of our collective responsibility to respect and uphold the core values of the rule of law, equity and separation of powers. Above all, the judiciary is so vital and essential to the just and effective governance “. He noted that the administration has commenced the building of a new law centre for lawyers in the state, construction of a new Federal High Court complex and judges quarters. Acting Chief Judge Of Rivers State, Justice Daisy Okocha commended Governor Wike for the restoring the pride of the judiciary. She said that the governor has enhanced the independence of the judiciary through the implementation of self accounting platform. The legal year was preceded by a Church Service.

I wonder if the governorship election was different from the house of assembly elections. Hw come elections where upheld in 11 lga's and yet they claim there was no election in the entire state. Smh

Export1:
Hello,

We're sorry: We can't find that car
Was the car manufactured before 1981? Then it doesn't have the VIN we need to find the answers you're looking for.
Is the car brand new? It may be so new that there are no records currently on file. Check back soon, once it's had some time on the road.

Sorry made a mistake. Its JTEDS41A092080505. Thanks and GOD bless you.

Please help me check dis vin JTEDS41A092080505. Rockatic@Gmail.com. Thanks and GOD bless you.

Please help me check dis vin JTEDS41A092080505. Rockatic@gmail.com. Thanks and GOD bless you Sir.

Please help me check dis vin JTFDS41A092080505. Thanks and GOD bless you.

Mtn should return my data. Did 1k for 1gig n b4 knew it, its all gone. Ive resubscribed n even called customer care to complain but no solution. 08104065080

If your visiting Ebonyi state from a state like Rivers state, Ebonyi state is thousands of years backward. Bad roads apart from the only major road dat leads from Enugu to abakaliki. There are no cabs, just keke n buses. You have difficulties in getting cow meat cos they prefer the cheaper option of donkeys. Please that state is very much backward and I didn't find my one year of nysc funny.

RealAdewole:
. but you said screenshot is disabled

How and When.

More

Preview of windows mobile 10. Enjoy

Please help me check dis vin JT6HF10U9Y0156275. Thanks

Rockatic@gmail.com

Please help me check dis vin JT6HF10U9Y0156275. Thanks

Please help me check dis vin JT6HF10U9Y0156275. Thanks

Waiting for Gov Wike to do same. What apc can do, pdp can do better.

I just heard it on silverbird 93.7 news and Mods I wonder why this has not yet gotten to the front page.

When Buhari make decisions like this, it is nt seen as a witch hunt but if its been done be Gov Wike it is seen as a witch hunt. I'm tired of this APC E-dogs.

Export1:
Please check your VIN and try again JT6HF1OUOYO112438

Is it a valid VIN? Valid vehicle identification numbers:
Have exactly 17 characters
Come from a vehicle manufactured after 1980
Do not contain letters I, O, or Q

JT6HF10U0Y0112438. Just corrected it. Thanks

Good morning please kindly check dis vin JT6HF10U0Y0112438. Thanks

Please help me check this vin JT6HF1OUOYO112438. Thanks

Scaaaaaaammmmmmmmm. Mods please close dis thread.

Rubbish. TAM has been on even b4 the elections. It takes six months to do TAM on the refineries.

.Pledges to generate employment opportunities Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt
 Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has dissolved all boards and parastatals in the state. A statement issued monday in Port Harcourt by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, said the dissolution was with immediate effect, adding that the dissolved boards are to handover to their various authorities. He, however, said the boards of Rivers State Waste Management Authority and that of Greater Port Harcourt Authority were not affected. Meanwhile, Wike has pledged that his administration would work towards the generation of employment opportunities for residents of the state. The governor also stated that he would only appoint technocrats as Commissioners of Commerce and Industry and Energy, stressing that core politicians were excluded from the two posts. Wike spoke yesterday during a meeting with the Rivers State Entrepreneurs and Investors’ Forum at the Government House, Port Harcourt. He said employment would help in developing the state’s economy and make the state prosperous. His words: “This administration is committed to the development of employment opportunities for the unemployed as a way to enhance our economy. “To achieve employment for our people we shall support small and medium scale businesses. This will grow the economy of the state as we promised during the electioneering campaigns.” He assured the people that his administration would stem the tide of the migration of investments outside the state to give life to the economy of the state. He said in his bid to revive the two sea ports in the state, he would embark on visits to the facilities to seek ways to enhance their usefulness to the state’s economy.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/wike-dissolves-all-boards-parastatals-in-rivers/212168/

Change agent... Dats All

Rubbish. Why drag Jonathan into this. From my knowledge his severance allowance is just N3m while the bulk of the money goes to service the pockets of the senators and rep members which comprises of apc and pdp.