The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has shunned the Judicial Fee of Inquiry arrange by the Rivers State Authorities to research the arson, killings and wanton destruction of property in some native authorities headquarters of the state.
Recall that Governor Siminalayi Fubara inaugurated the seven-man panel headed by Justice Ibiwengi Minakiri in early October, which was given one month to conclude its task.
The panel had summoned Wike, by means of courier service and a newspaper advertorial signed by its chairperson, to seem earlier than it on Tuesday, November 19, 2024.
Nonetheless, in her remarks on the finish of the fee sittings on Tuesday, Minakiri disclosed that the FCT minister didn’t honour the invitation, saying the day was solely reserved for him to seem to make clear some gray areas.
She said, “At this time’s sitting was really for the previous Governor of Rivers State to seem earlier than this fee to straighten some factors that we would have liked to know.
“That’s simply the one motive we’re sitting in the present day. In any other case, our sitting would have ended yesterday. However we had waited, hoping that he could be right here. We have now given some.
“So in the present day will mark the final day we’re sitting. As we rise in the present day, that brings us to the tip of the sitting of this Fee, besides there’s a course from His Excellency to do in any other case as permitted by the legislation below which we’re working.”
Justice Minakiri expressed fear that Wike, who was anticipated to seem earlier than the panel on Tuesday, and another invitees who have been anticipated to seem earlier than the seven-man fee on Monday, together with the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress within the state, Chief Tony Okocha, neither appeared nor have been represented by any authorized counsel.
“You may see from the way in which the corridor is wanting there’s really no unusual face right here. There may be no one right here. So, within the absence of all that, we made publications inviting individuals we need to hear from alongside His Excellency (Nyesom Wike). Nonetheless, I’ve seen that there’s no one right here. In order that brings us to the tip of the sitting,” the panel’s chairman said.
She, nonetheless, stated the panel will go forward and submit its report regardless of the refusal of a number of the invitees to seem earlier than it, together with the FCT Minister.
Minakiri stated, “So I need to thank each one in every of you who has been coming, and we’ve got those that simply got here in in the present day and to let you know that you’ve made our job simple for us.
“Your presence inspired us all by means of our sittings. We do hope that on the finish of the day no matter comes up after this sitting shall be certainly to the good thing about Rivers State, the whole lot of Rivers State and the individuals of Rivers State. So I need to say thanks a lot in your presence.”
Our correspondent stories that Okocha, an ally of the FCT minister and the previous native authorities chairmen of Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor, Ahoada West and Eleme, who have been additionally summoned by the fee to seem earlier than it on November 18th, 2024, have been conspicuously absent and didn’t ship any illustration.