By Tosin Olatokunbo
A rights group, Centre for Law and Civil Culture, CLCC has called on the Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike to stop desecrating the sanctity of his office.
The call came on the crest of alleged human rights violations by the state government, most especially, the recent demolition of two hotels in Port Harcourt, the state’s capital, for allegedly violating the governor’s Executive Order on the containment of Corona virus.
CLCC has joined other well meaning Nigerians and rights bodies in the country who have virulently condemned the governor for the demolition and other extra judicial acts committed by his government.
According to a statement signed by Abdul Ganeey Imran Esq, Executive Secretary and Deborah Okpanachi, Publicity Secretary, the human rights body said it has become habitual for Governor Wike to take law into his hands against the spirit of the nation’s extant law.
According to the group “the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike desecrates the prestigious office of the governor when he personally took law into his hand by supervising, monitoring, directing and ensuring the demolition of private hotels of innocent citizens of Rivers state who were alleged to have violated the lockdown order/directives in Rivers state.
This untoward action is nothing but an ‘act of executive recklessness’. The CLCC therefore, condemn this in very strong terms and advise the Governor Wike to desist from any further act of lawlessness, it is a jungle justice which is unknown to our law.
The body further stated that “the action of Rivers State Governor in this circumstance, could be likened to the attitude of hooligans who usually takes law into their hands and could at will, set ablaze armed robbery suspect without giving them rooms to be heard, a case that at best, could be likened to extra judicial killings.”
CLCC said the governor as a lawyer should know better that jungle justice does not have a place in the nation’s constitution.
Therefore, the governor, should know, for instance, that he “cannot kill a citizen simply because he witnessed how that citizens killed his fellow citizens, the proper approach would have been for the governor to insist on the rule of law to be followed.
The twin pillar of natural justice has always been audialterampartemand nemo judex in causa sua, which explains that you must hear the other party and you cannot be a judge in your own cause.
It’s obvious in this case that Governor Wike has violated and contravened these twin pillars of justice,” CLCC said.
The defense put up by the state’s helmsman is purely an afterthought which is unsustainable and indefensible under the nation’s law, it stated, calling on the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC and the Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice to immediately wade into the issue, to stop Governor Wike and security agencies from further “violating the constitutional rights of our dear citizens across the country, in the name of containing COVID 19.”
