It was the hand of the biblical Jacob but the voice of Esau when the Rivers State House of Assembly, on Thursday, stripped former Governor of the State, Celestine Omehia of all entitlements and recognition as a former Governor. The Assembly, also, went further and asked him to refund all monetary benefits he received so far- either when he was serving, or since the administration of Governor Nyesom Wike.
The Assembly said that its action stems from the fact that Omehia did not complete his term as an elected Governor of Rivers.
However, not a few Rivers people alleged that the Assembly took the decision on the prompting of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike
Until Wike and Omehia fell out over Omehia’s relationship with the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the two men were like five and six. They were always together at functions, and Omehia was in the habit of following Wike to almost everywhere.
Omehia was removed as a Governor in 2007 by a Supreme Court Judgement which declared Rotimi Amaechi as duly elected.
In fact, it was also, allegedly, at the behest of Wike that the immediate past State Assembly, on June 30, 2015, compelled the Executive Arm, headed by Wike to recognize Omehia as a former Governor and accord him all entitlements, privileges and benefits – the things denied him during the eight year administration of Amaechi.
Omehia’s fate is seen as a direct fall-out of the sore relationship between Wike and Atiku since after the PDP Presidential Primary during which Atiku beat Wike to a second place, and refused to pick him as his running mate. Omehia’s offence is visiting and hobnobbing with Atiku instead of sticking to Wike. The Governor had vowed to deal with all of them who “betrayed” him, and he has a long list in the State, all of them, high profile Rivers sons and women. Said one Rivers PDP chieftain, “Amaechi must be having a good laugh at the expense of Omehia.”
The motion to derobe Omehia of all privileges abd entitlements, was moved by the Leader of the House, Martin Amaewmule, who asked the Assembly to reverse its earlier resolution.
According to him, the continued recognition of Omehia in that capacity will be a breach of the Supreme Court judgement, which in 2007, removed him as a Governor for not being the duly elected candidate in that year’s election.
The lawmaker also submitted a copy of the Nigerian Weekly Law Report that contained the judgement, which removed Omehia from office and declared Rotimi Amaechi as the duly elected candidate of the PDP at the time and the right person to occupy the office of the Governor.
He said the motion is being moved to reverse the earlier resolution because the 9th Assembly has a better knowledge and particulars on the said Supreme Court Judgement.
Amaewmule who represents Obio/Akpor Constituency one, submitted four prayers to the house for endorsement.
The prayers are that; The House rescind its earlier resolution that Omehia be recognized, Omehia ceases to use the title ‘His Excellency’.
Others are that Omehia stops using the acronym “GSSRS”, meaning, Grand Service Star of Rivers State, which is a state honour meant for an incumbent and former Governors alone, and that he refunds all monetary entitlements received from the Rivers State Government.
These include the sum of N600 million in benefits and N96.5 million in pension he has so far received as at September 2022 from the Rivers State Government within seven days.
The motion was seconded by the Whip of the House, Evans Bipi.
In a debate, all the lawmakers who made contributions, including the representative of Celestine Omehia’s constituency in Ikwerre Local Government Area, Anselm Oguguo agreed to the prayers.
Some of the lawmakers, however, requested that a specific decision be made on what action to be taken if Celestine Omehia fails to refund the monitary benefits.
After the debate, the 21 members present at the plenary voted in support of the four prayers by the leader of the House.
The Speaker, Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani said the Assembly was right in taking the decision, because no law is absolute.
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