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Tag: rivers

  • BREAKING! NJC heavy hammer falls on Rivers, Anambra judges

    BREAKING! NJC heavy hammer falls on Rivers, Anambra judges

    The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended Justice G. C Aguma of the High Court of Rivers State and Justice A.O Nwabunike of the Anambra State High Court from performing judicial functions.

    “They were both suspended for the period of one year without pay and placed on watch list for two years thereafter,”.

    According to monitored reports the suspension takes immediate effect from November 15, 2024.

    The decision, says the report, was taken at the 107th Meeting of the NJC chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, on 13 and 14 November 2024.

    Details shortly

  • Rivers: A’Court sets up special panel, begins hearing Thursday

    Rivers: A’Court sets up special panel, begins hearing Thursday

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja has constituted a special three-member panel to handle political cases from Rivers State, with sittings scheduled to begin on Thursday, November 14.

    This move follows the escalating legal tussles stemming from a rift between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

    The feud has led to a surge of legal cases from the state, creating factions among political actors and resulting in conflicting judgments from courts of similar authority — an issue that has drawn criticism from both judiciary stakeholders and the public.

    In an effort to streamline the resolution of these disputes, Court of Appeal President Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem appointed a special panel to oversee all appeals related to the political crisis in Rivers.

    The panel, headed by Justice Onyekachi Otisi with Justices Misitura Bokaji-Yusuf and James Abundaga, will tackle cases that involve key political figures and factions within the state.

    Among the appeals set to be heard is one filed by Governor Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly, alongside cases involving both the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress regarding the alleged defection of 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike from the PDP to the APC.

    During proceedings on Monday, a panel of the court adjourned three appeals, including one filed by the Rivers State Government against the Rivers State House of Assembly and others, to be heard by the new special panel.

    The presiding Justice Hamma Barka noted, “The appeal, marked CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CV/1211m1/2024, is among the Rivers matters for which a special panel was constituted.”

    Senior lawyer Chief Paul Erokoro, representing the appellant, informed the court of plans to ensure that all respondents who had not yet been served would receive necessary documents before Thursday.

    He also noted that he had just received some filings from the respondents and needed time to prepare his response.

    Counsel for the first and second respondents, Ferdinand Orbih (SAN) and Dr. Joshua Musa (SAN), representing additional respondents, agreed to the adjournment request for November 14.

    Two other cases—one by the Accountant General of Rivers State against the Rivers State House of Assembly and another by the Action Peoples Party against the Independent National Electoral Commission and others—were also adjourned to Thursday for hearing by the Otisi-led special panel.

    The establishment of this panel aims to provide a clear and expedited resolution to the political disputes, marking a critical step toward restoring order amid Rivers State’s ongoing political upheaval.

  • Court reserves judgment in pro-Wike lawmakers’ suit seeking to stop Rivers funds

    Court reserves judgment in pro-Wike lawmakers’ suit seeking to stop Rivers funds

    A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday reserved judgment in a suit filed by Rivers House of Assembly led by Mr Martin Amaewhule, seeking to stop all allocations to the state.

    Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the judgment to a date that would be communicated to parties after the lawyers to the plaintiffs and the defence adopted their processes and argued their case for and against the suit.

    NAN that Justice Abdulmalik had earlier dismissed all objections raised by the Rivers government against proceeding with the hearing of the suit.

    The judge dismissed the applications by the state government and other defendants in the suit to stay proceedings, pending the hearing and the determination of the appeal already filed before the Appeal Court.

    The judge held that the request was frivolous, vexatious, unwarranted and mischievous.

    NAN reports that the Rivers House of Assembly and Mr Martin Amaewhule, as 1st and 2nd plaintiffs, had sued the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and nine others in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/984/24.

    The plaintiffs, through their lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, filed the suit dated July 14 but filed July 15.

    They listed the CBN, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) as 1st to 4th defendants.

    They also joined Fubara; Accountant-General (A-G) of Rivers; Rivers Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC); Chief Judge (CJ) of Rivers, Hon. Justice S.C. Amadi; Chairman of RSIEC, Hon. Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd.) and Government of Rivers State as 5th to 10th defendants respectively.

    The assembly and Mr Amaewhule sought an order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining the CBN, the commercial banks, including the AGF from honouring any financial instruction issued by Fubara regarding the state’s funds.

    However, the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Mr Oko Jumbo filed a notice of change of counsel on Aug. 6.

    The Oko Jumbo-led assembly, loyal to Gov. Fubara, had told the court that Amaewhule was not the lawful speaker of the assembly, his seat, having been declared vacant on Dec. 13, 2023 following his detection from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The assembly , therefore, told the court that Amaewhule was not authorised to file the instant suit, hence, it had decided to change its counsel.

    “The 1st plaintiff herein has changed their counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN of J. B. Daudu & Co., and now briefed S. A. Somiari, SAN, MCIArb (UK) of Sammie Somiari & Associates for the purposes of legal representation in this suit,” the Oko Jumbo-led assembly said.

    Justice Abdulmalik also dismissed the application for change of counsel after it was moved by Somiari.

    The judge equally dismissed the oral applications by the defence lawyers, including Femi Falana, SAN, who appeared for 7th and 9th defendants, seeking an adjournment to enable them respond to the processes served on them by the plaintiffs.

    Falana, in his argument, had told the court that he was just served a bundle of documents few minutes before the proceeding through the bailiff and that he would need more time to respond.

    Besides, Justuce Abdulmalik dismissed a motion on notice filed by Jumbo to be joined as co-plaintiff in the suit.

    The judge agreed with the plaintiffs that Jumbo was not a necessary party to the suit.

    NAN reports that Justice Emeka Nwite of a sister court had, on July 21, refused to grant the ex-parte motion moved by the plaintiffs when it was earlier assigned to him during the vacation  period.

    Justice Nwite, in a ruling on the motion ex-parte moved by Sebastien Hon, SAN, rather ordered the plaintiffs to put all the defendants in the suit on notice.

    The suit was, however, reassigned to Justice Abdulmalik after the Federal High Court resumed from vacation since Nwite was a vacation judge.

    The Rivers government had objected to hearing of the suit in Abuja but was turned down by the court.

    This prompted the state government to approach the Court of Appeal to intervene in the matter.

    The state government filed an appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/1197/2024 and filed a motion seeking the Federal High Court to stay proceedings until its appeal is determined.

  • APC postpones Rivers elective congresses indefinitely

    APC postpones Rivers elective congresses indefinitely

    The National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has postponed the elective congresses of the Rivers chapter of the party indefinitely.

    APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka in a statement in Abuja announced the postponement.

    No reason was given for the postponement of the Congresses scheduled to commence on Saturday.

    The Nation however gathered that the NWC decision may have been informed by court cases filed by the various tendencies of the party in the state.

    The statement reads: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers State Chapter’s elective congresses earlier scheduled for 26th October, 2024 (Ward Congress), 2nd November, 2024 (LGA Congress) and 9th November, 2024 (State Congress), have been postponed.

    “New dates for the Congresses will be announced in due course.”

    The sale of nomination and expression of Interest forms for interested aspirants for various party positions which started on Wednesday 9th ended on Friday October 18.

     

  • We’ll continue to criticise Fubara’s govt., says Rivers APC Chairman

    Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker Committee in Rivers, Chief Tony Okocha, has said that the party will continue to constructively criticise the Gov. Siminalayi Fubara-led government in the interest of the people of the state.

    Okocha, who stated this on Sunday in Abuja at NAN news forum, said it was the responsibility of APC in Rivers to put Fubara’s administration in constant check.

    “Our position as a vibrant opposition in Rivers is, first and foremost, to speak for the voiceless in the society via constructive criticisms and point out grey areas to the state government.

    “By so doing, we are demarketing Gov. Siminalayi Fubara and his party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    “We are not expected to be applauding the PDP government in Rivers. Doing that means we won’t be able to win future elections in the state.

    “Our business is to constructively criticise the government and that is what is giving us an edge; otherwise, we inherited an APC that was not a party but a social club,” Okocha said.

    He said that this was so because Rotimi Amaechi, the immediate past Minister of Works, who was then the APC leader in Rivers, customised and colonised the party.

    He said that APC’s desire was to see the ruling party and other opposition parties weakened so it could have a smooth sail in the 2027 general elections.

    “We can’t allow them to be strong; we will not close our eyes and watch them become united so that they will come again with their forces, like the Labour Party did with Peter Obi, its presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election,” he said.

    Speaking on the Federal High Court’s dismissal of a suit seeking to replace the pro-Wike 27 lawmakers, Okocha

    said they were not members of APC as was being insinuated.

    He stated that there was no proof of the lawmakers’ registration as APC members, even at the ward level.

    “They didn’t join us. I wooed them and did much more to get them to join us; I even begged them but they refused to join us.

    “I am saying this as chairman of Rivers APC caretaker committee, clearly and without mincing words, that the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers are not our members.

    “Let anyone saying they joined us show proof; the law is not about emotion but facts,” he said.

    Okocha challenged those saying the lawmakers defected to APC to show proof of their registration as members and their membership cards to buttress their claims.

    NAN reports that the pro-Wike lawmakers were reported to have defected from PDP to APC on Dec. 12, 2023.

    The court held that the suit, instituted by the Action Peoples Party (APP) and marked FHC/ABJ/CR/978/2024, was statute-barred, as it was not filed within the 14 days allowed by law.

    While the reported defection was said to have taken place on Dec. 12, 2023, APP filed its originating summons on July 12, 2024.

    The party was requesting, among other things, that the court should empower the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the seats of the lawmakers vacant and conduct by-elections to replace them.

  • APC Rivers Chair explains reasons behind state’s political crisis

    APC Rivers Chair explains reasons behind state’s political crisis

    Chief Tony Okocha, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers Caretaker Committee has attributed the political crisis in the state to the unhealthy relationship between the governor and assembly members.

    Okocha while speaking with NAN on Sunday in Abuja, also blamed the Rivers political crisis on the struggle for political structures by political big wigs in the state.

    He said the seeming crisis in the state were centrifugal, noting that issues of internal wrangling came to a head in the state under its present Governor, Semilaiye Fubara.

    According to Okocha, under Nyesom Wike, the state’s immediate past governor and now the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, the state was a construction site.

    This, he said, was because Wike built working bridges and developed other infrastructure across the state and brought in laurels that were due to it.

    “Unfortunately for him, he introduced to the political scene somebody he felt was a confidant, who is today, the state governor. He was not a politician.

    “He was a civil servant all his life and Wike catapoted him from Deputy Director to Director Finance and Administration and directed that he be posted to the State Government House.

    “He was later made Chief of Staff and was promoted few months after to Permanent Secretary Government House, in charge of finance and was later made the Accountant General.

    “Fubara was never in politics, he was just a routine civil servant, but for whatever it is worth, Wike felt he should hand over to a confidant as is normal with Nigerian politicians,” Okocha said.

    He added that Wike was able to sell Fubara to Rivers people and spoke for him all through the political campaigns, apparently because he didn’t know what to say before he was elected.

    He said though Fubara had never been a Counselor or Local Government Chairman, his first stint in politics was the highest office in the state because Wike was there for him.

    The APC Rivers caretaker committee chairman added that ahead of his election, Fubura feigned loyalty and humility and submitted himself to Wike which turned out to be a decoy at the end of the day.

    According to Okocha, three months after assuming office as governor, Fubara was convinced by some politicians opposed to Wike to build his own political structures out of their selfish reasons.

    This, he said, brought the state to its current political crisis as Fubara in a bide to build his own political structure was destroying Wike’s already established structures.

    He explained that while Wike could be linked to the political crisis in Rivers, the issue in the real sense, was the state governor versus the Assembly members and the struggle for political structures which was needed by every politician to succeed.

    “What sustains every politician in the field is a potent structure and Wike could not sit and watch his political structures which built Fubara and some members of the state assembly destroyed.

    “Fubara constituted a clog in the wheel of  Wike’s political structures and was dismantling it which Wike couldn’t take.

    “The reason we are having Rivers in the news for bad things is because the state governor is fighting himself,” he said.

    Speaking on the Federal High Court  dismissal of a suit seeking to replace the pro-Wike 27 lawmakers, Okocha said Fubara is the chief law officer of the state and and also the chief law breaker.

    This, he said, was especially because he chooses the order to obey and the one not to obey,.

    “And when you do that, it is an invitation to anarchy, he is the one that brought ant infected firewood to his house, and now lizards are feasting,” Okocha said.

    He added that Fubura remains Wike’s political investment in Rivers, saying he would not allow him destroy the political structures he built over the years.

  • Rivers Crisis: Call Wike to order, INC urges Tinubu

    Rivers Crisis: Call Wike to order, INC urges Tinubu

     

    The Ijaw National Congress (INC) worldwide has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, to order over lingering crises in Rivers.

    Prof. Benjamin Okaba, President, INC,  made the appeal at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Wike and Gov. Siminialayi Fubara are at loggerheads over the control of political machinery in the oil-rich state.

    Okaba said INC was concerned that if left unchecked the political crisis could affect other parts of the country.

    ‘’Mr President, sir, as the father of the nation, the alter ego of Nigeria, we are fervently appealing to you to call the FCT Minister to order.

    “This is for the sake of peace and security in Nigeria. Stop this drift towards national disintegration and anarchy now’’, he said.

    Okaba alleged that Wike’s power tussle with Fubara might not be unconnected with the minister’s desire to enhance Tinubu’s electoral fortunes in the next general polls.

    ‘’We understand the dictates of politics and the need to harvest Rivers votes for the President’s second tenure elections.

    “What we misunderstand is the thought that only the FCT minister can assist the President to win Rivers’’, Okoba said.

    He said Fubara had been faithful to Tinubu’s 8-point directive to both parties during the conflict resolution meeting held in Abuja.

    ‘’In October 2023 you called stakeholders to a meeting and tabled an 8-point directive to all parties involved to return peace to Rivers.

    ‘’Whereas many of our people considered your 8-Point directive as manifestly slanted against the governor’s interest and in favour of the FCT minister, the governor acceded to it,’’ he said.

    Okaba said that while governor acted in good faith with respect to the directive, the minister acted otherwise by refusing to withdraw the court cases instituted by him.

    He added that less than three weeks after the Presidential directives, Martins Amaewhule led 25 members the Rivers House of Assembly to defect to the opposition All People’s Congress.

    On the just-held local government election in the state, Okaba said that Fubara obeyed Supreme Court order that Local Government Areas in Nigeria must be administered by elected officers, without which funds must be withheld.

    He said Fubara worked assiduous to actualise the return of elected officers to the local government areas in accordance with Tinubu’s desires and backed by the Supreme Court judgement.

    He also said that Fubara holds permanent olive branches, sending constant peace emissaries to the FCT minister.

    ‘’So again we appeal to Mr President to call the FCT minister to order as a stitch in time, they say saves nine,’’ he said.

  • BREAKING! Court dumps Fubara’s appeal, recognizes Amaewhule as Speaker of Rivers

    BREAKING! Court dumps Fubara’s appeal, recognizes Amaewhule as Speaker of Rivers

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, affirmed Hon. Martin Amaewhule as the Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly.

    The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, equally validated the Amaewhule-led members of the Assembly as bonafide lawmakers for the state.

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, affirmed Hon. Martin Amaewhule as the authentic Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly.

    The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, equally validated the Amaewhule-led members of the Assembly as bonafide lawmakers for the state.

    The court held that governor Fubara’s decision to present the 2024 Rivers State Appropriation Bill to only four out of 31 members of the Assembly, amounted to a gross violation of section 91 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

    It will be recalled that the Rivers State Assembly was fractionalised owing to the frosty relationship between Governor Fubara and his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.

    Whereas Governor Fubara, in line with terms of the peace deal, withdrew all the processes he filed to challenge the suit, however, the pro-Wike lawmakers only withdrew an impeachment notice they served on him while they declined to terminate their legal action.

    While deciding the suit, Justice James Omotosho of the high court held that the budget was invalid as it was not properly presented before the Rivers State House of Assembly as required by the law.

    It held that Governor Fubara acted like a tyrant when he demolished the Rivers State Assembly complex and withheld funds standing to the credit of the legislative house.

    The court also described as unconstitutional, the redeployment of the Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Rivers State Assembly by Governor Fubara.

    Justice Omotosho stressed that the governor lacked the statutory rights to interfere with the operations of the Assembly, adding that he acted in contempt of a subsisting order that barred the parties from taking any steps to overreach the matter that was pending before the court.

    Besides, the court held that the National Assembly could not take over the legislative affairs of the state in the absence of the preconditions that were listed under section 11 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

    Consequently, the court, among other things, nullified all actions the Rivers Assembly took without the participation of the Amaewhule-led members of the House, among which included the presentation of the state appropriation bill.

    It issued an order of injunction, restraining Governor Fubara from impeding or frustrating the operations of the Assembly under Amaewhule’s leadership as its speaker.

    It ordered the governor to release all funds standing to the credit of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

    While upholding the verdict of the lower court, the appellate court held that Fubara conceded to the Amaewhule-led lawmakers when he withdrew all the processes he filed against their suit.

    “A party must be consistent in the presentation of its case. A party cannot approbate and reprobate or blow hot and cold at the same time,” the appellate court held.

    It held that the orders of the trial court were appropriate given the circumstance of the case, saying the appeal Fubara filed before it amounted to an academic exercise.

    Accordingly, it ordered Fubara to pay a cost of N500,000 to each of the Respondents in the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/133/2024.

  • Appeal Court sets aside Rivers 2024 budget passed by Edison-Ehie group

    Appeal Court sets aside Rivers 2024 budget passed by Edison-Ehie group

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court which set aside the N800 billion budget passed by five members of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by the Edison Ehie-led group.

    The appellate court dismissed the appeal filed by the Governor of Rivers State Siminalayi Fubara on grounds that it lacked merit.

    The court held that Governor Fubara withdrew his counter-affidavit at the lower court in the matter and as such cannot commence an appeal in a matter he didn’t challenge at the trial stage.

    Details later…

  • Post-Election: Rivers govt sets up committee to probe Violence

    Post-Election: Rivers govt sets up committee to probe Violence

    Following the attack that occurred in the state on Monday, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara vowed to take decisive action against those responsible for setting ablaze three local government secretariats.

    The Rivers State Government has set up a judiciary of inquiry into the arson, killings, and other forms of violence

    The move was after Ikwerre, Eleme, and Emohua Local Government Council secretariats were set ablaze following the withdrawal of the police officers securing the 23 council secretariats by the commissioner of police, Kayode Egbetokun.

    He pledged that the incident, unlike previous cases, will not be ignored, as his administration will collaborate with security agencies to identify the perpetrators and hold them accountable.

    A statement by the Office of the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo on Tuesday, said the setting up of the judicial committee was pursuant to Section 2(1) of the Commissions of Inquiry Law, Cap 30, Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria, 1999.

    The statement said, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has approved the Setting-up of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the arson, killings, and wanton destruction of property at some Local Government Council Headquarters which occurred on or about Monday, October 7, 2024.”

    Members of the Commission are:

    (1) Hon. Justice I.R. Minakiri – Chairman

    (2) Barr. Felicia Nwoke – Member

    (3) Prof. Blessing Didia – Member

    (4) Sir Samuel Egbe – Member

    (5) Venerable Alex Usifor – Member

    (6) Barr. Uzor Ikenga – Counsel to the Commission

    (7) Mrs. Inyingi Brown – Secretary