Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has explained that the Thursday decision of the state House of Assembly to delist Sir Celestine Omehia as a former Governor is devoid of politics.
The governor said it was not true as being insinuated in some quarters that the decision was taken because Omehia was in the presidential campaign council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and was no longer his political ally.
Wike insisted that the 2015 recognition of Omehia by the lawmakers against the judgement of the Supreme Court was an error, which they had mustered courage to correct in 2022.
The governor spoke on Friday when he signed a legal instrument into law activating the resolution passed by the House of Assembly to de-recognise Omehia.
Wike’s signature on the instrument cancelled all the recognition that was hitherto accorded Omehia the status of a former governor with rights and benefits.
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The governor signed the instrument at the Executive Council Chambers of the Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt when it was presented to him by the State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor.
Wike also pointed to the sum of money paid to Sir Celestine Omehia as a proof against those, who peddled tales that government does not pay such benefits at all.
He said: “If this did not happen, nobody will even know that the State government has been coughing out such amount of money to pay as benefits. I’m sure, they must have told you that no benefits and all entitlements were never paid, that is what you hear everywhere.”
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said recognizing Sir Celestine Omehia as a former Governor of the State was in itself an example of legislative brigandage in Rivers State after the judgement of the Supreme Court of Nigeria had declared that in the eyes of the law, Omehia was never a Governor. “Rivers State House of Assembly brazenly committed an affront on the 25th of October 2007 judgement of the Supreme Court of Nigeria which declared that in the eyes of the law, Sir Celestine Omehia was never a Governor of Rivers State. Back then in 2015, it was politically correct to recognise Omehia but with the political realities of today, it’s no longer expedient! Should the Rivers State House of Assembly not be apologizing to Rivers people by now for poor representation?” acting Publicity Secretary of APC, Darlington Nwauju, said.