•Council chair: we’re doing our best to restore normalcy
Suspected cultists in Ubima community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State have resumed their deadly fight. As at press time yesterday, three suspected cult members were feared dead.
Ubima community, the home town of Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Sir Celestine Omehia, has been experiencing anarchy since last year.
Some villagers, who could not withstand the fight between the rival cult groups, have relocated to neigbouring communities for safety.
A member of a cult group, Dewell, who pleaded anonymity, said the trouble started when one of its leaders, Chinedu Uwazurike, a.k.a Biggi, entered the territory of Axelander to buy Indian hemp and a rival group, was killed.
“Biggi is one of our members, he just came back from another town and decided to get Indian hemp but he could not get it from a nearby shop. So, he went to a seller close to Axelander barracks. That was how they dragged him down from motorbike and started beating him until he collapsed and died.
“When youths of his village discovered that he has been murdered, they took his body chanting a war song. They headed to the family of the leader of Axelander but before they got there, the Axelander leader came out with his men and the youths ran away. With that anger they started shooting.
“But we have revenged by killing two of their members.The fight will continue because it is a disgrace on our side. The Axelander want to tell us that they have power by trying to convince some of our members to join them, we will know who has the best weapons in town.”
But a member of Axelander, who pleaded anonymity while speaking with our reporter on phone, said Dewell has committed a lot of atrocities in the community, adding that its members were only waiting for time to explode.
He said they were not killers or ready to harm any members of the community but noted that one thing they would not do was to allow other cult groups in the area to defy their rules’’
The Chairman, Ikwerre Local government Area, Bestman Amadi, said he had visited the community and assured them not to run away as he was doing everything possible to bring normalcy to the area.
Amadi said: l have visited the area. As I am talking to you security personnel are patrolling the area to restore normalcy.”
The new Rivers state Commissioner of Police, Chris.Ezike has challenged officers and men of the state command to justify their salaries and allowances.
Ezike gave the charge during his formal maiden meeting with senior officers, Area Commanders DPOs and other sectional commanders in Port Harcourt the state capital weekend.
The CP who assumed office in the state last Monday took over from Dan. Bature who was transferred from the after nine months of service.
The new state Police chief identified kidnapping and armed robbery triggered by cultism and its related activities as serious problem in the state but vowed to bring their activities in the state to standstill.
He directed for the immediate withdrawal of police officers deployed to persons who did not have the approval of the Inspector-General of Police(IGP), Solomon Arase, describing such posting, deployments as wastage to the Police Force.
“We shall with immediate effect review our personnel deployment profile and recover wastage and unauthorized deployments; accordingly, all squadron Commanders are directed to withdraw PMF personnel deployed to persons not entitled and without approval from the Inspector-General of Police.
“Similarly all Area Commanders, Head of department and DPOs are directed to also withdraw their personnel so deployed. A monitoring task force shall soon commence action to ensure compliance.” he said.
The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase has ordered the posting of new Commissioners of Police to Lagos, Ogun, Rivers and other formations in the Force headquarters.
In a statement by the Deputy Force PRO, Abayomi Shogunle, the new posting is expected to reduce the crime rate in the affected states.
The statement read: “It is expected that the new postings will reverse the crime wave in the affected states and also strengthen the administration in the Force headquarters formations”.
The commissioners affected by the posting and the states they are posted to are; “CP Ajani Fatai Owoseni; Lagos State, CP Chris Ezike; Rivers State, CP Abdulmajid Ali; Ogun State.
Other CPs posted to formations in the Force headquarters are: “Dan Bature; Intelligence FCIID Abuja, CP Valentine Ntomchukwu, CP Admin Department of Logistics and Supply, Abuja, Hyelasinda Kimo Musa; CP Fed. Special Anti Robbery Squad, Abuja, CP Kayode Aderanti; CP Admin, department of Operations Abuja, CP Ibine; CP Port Authority Eastern Command; CP Ogbusua Aja Oleh, CP Provost, Abuja”.
•100 suspects arrested in one week •Guns, vehicles, kitchen wares recovered
The Rivers State Police Command has killed three suspected hoodlums in one week.
It said over 100 suspected criminals, including kidnappers and robbers were also arrested within the period.
In a statement yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, police spokesman Ahmed Mohammed, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), said the operation took place at Abuloma and Borikiri, both in Port Harcourt Local Government Area; Rumuekini in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area and Akpajo, in Eleme Local Government Area between June 19 and 25.
Mohammed listed the items recovered from them as: AK-47 rifle and magazine, live ammunitions, vehicles and cooking utensils, suspects to have been stolen, among others.
The spokesman attributed the command’s success at busting crimes to cooperation from the public.
He said the command was committed to ridding the state of hoodlums and their nefarious activities as long as the public continued to provide useful information.
Mohammed said: “Our sustained onslaught against violent criminals and recovery of firearms in illegal hands …has continued to yield some significant triumphs. Our vow to dislodge criminals from their havens is not a bluff but a reality that has come to stay until their activities are brought to an end.
“On June 19, at noon at Abuloma in Port Harcourt, our joint teams of policemen raided a waterfront, which was suspected to be the hideout of a notorious and wanted suspected kidnapper/cultist. Items recovered from the enclave include two AK-47 rifles, five AK-47 magazines, 152 rounds of 7.62 live ammunitions and assorted household items suspected to have been stolen.
“On June 21, at 5:40am, men of the Anti-Cultism Unit stormed the Rumuekini Forest and arrested 69 suspected cultists/robbers; two of them were fatally wounded. Items recovered from them include two pump action guns, nine live cartridges, a Toyota Camry car and assorted household items suspected to have been stolen.
“On June 21, at 10:45am at Akpajo Special Check Point in Port Harcourt, a Mazda car with some occupants, who appeared suspicious, refused to stop for a check. The policemen chased the car. When the occupants of the car sensed that our men would catch up with them, they fled, abandoning the vehicle. Items recovered from the car include two AK-47 rifles and 20 rounds of 7.62 live ammunitions.”
The spokesman added: “On June 22, at 2pm at Borikiri Sand Fill, men of the Anti-Cultism Unit tracked down six suspects who specialised in car snatching. The gang, few days ago, snatched at gun point a Toyota Camry with registration number KFS657CN. The car, with three other suspected stolen vehicles of various models, were recovered from the gang’s hideout.
“On June 25, at 4:10pm at Ogale-Nchia, the Eleme Anti-Robbery Unit of Eleme Division, which responded to a distress call, engaged suspected robbers in a shootout. One of the two suspected robbers wearing military camouflage trousers, got fatally wounded. Items recovered from them include one pump action gun, one locally-made pistol, 15 live cartridges, one red mask and assorted charms.
“There are other successes recorded, besides the aforementioned ones. The continued support of the patriotic public, by divulging credible information to the police, is hereby appreciated. We look for more cooperation.”
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has said his administration is planning to amend the anti-kidnapping law to empower the government to demolish or seize the property of kidnappers.
The governor said the bill would be sent to the House of Assembly for amendment.
He said under his watch, no kidnappers or their sponsors would benefit from the proceeds of the crime.
Wike spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, at a special thanksgiving service at the Royal House of Grace.
He said: “Under our watch, no kidnappers or their sponsors will enjoy the benefits of the crime. The Attorney-General has brought the bill and it will soon be sent to the House of Assembly.”
The governor also said his administration would take firm action against cultism.
He added that his would not be an era of complaints, but a time to rebuild the state and make it work for people.
President Muhammadu Buhari has been called upon to probe the tenure of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike at the Federal Ministry of Education.
The state All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Chief Davies Ikanya, said this yesterday in a statement in Port Harcourt through his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Public Affairs, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze.
The party supported Buhari’s move to investigate and recover billions of naira allegedly looted by the past administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
Wike served in Jonathan’s government as Supervising Minister of Education and Minister of State for Education before resigning to vie as governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Rivers APC said: “We receive with great joy, the news of the decision of President Buhari to go after the persons who stole Nigeria blind and virtually grounded the country’s economy.
“For six years, we shouted ourselves hoarse that Jonathan’s administration was the most corrupt in the history of this nation and sadly nobody believed us, but the recent revelations have proved us right. If not by the grace of God and the resolve of Nigerians to vote out the visionless government, the ship of our nation would have been grounded by now.
“The impending recovery of stolen funds and stoppage of systemic leakages are the beginning of the journey towards building the ideal Nigerian nation.”
The party said the President should look into the purchase of books for Federal Government institutions, the Almajiri School Scheme, the Universal Basic Education (UBEC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) as well as the “commandeer” of 15 UBEC Toyota Hilux vans for governorship election campaign.
The APC also want Buhari to probe the recent fire that razed only the Basic Education Section of the Federal Ministry of Education building in Abuja.
“Although Wike has been unjustly declared Rivers governor by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), his immunity does not prevent him from being investigated. In any case, he will soon lose the immunity, when he is removed from office by the Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Abuja.
“We passionately appeal to President Buhari to take the necessary action to bring Wike to book, to serve as a deterrent to others. We commend the governments of United States and Britain for supporting the APC’s government in its efforts to recover Nigeria’s looted funds, stashed in foreign banks by agents of wickedness,” the party said.
The Rivers APC pleaded with Nigerians to see reason and support the administration of President Buhari in its efforts to clean the rot of the Jonathan’s administration and put Nigeria on a sound footing.
It noted that the next three months might be hard, as predicted by President Buhari, but assured Nigerians that they were necessary steps for the good of the country.
On Monday, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria granted an Order of Interim Injunction against the sacking of the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State. Will this save the council bosses? Bisi Olaniyi reports
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), then headed by Prof. Augustine Ahiauzu, on May 23, when Rotimi Amaechi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was governor, conducted the local government election in the state.
The election, which had 27 political parties participating, was, however, boycotted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whole leaders claimed did not follow the local government law and due process, but dismissed Ahiauzu.
The Rivers local government election was held in 22 of the 23 LGAs, excluding Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, where the tenure of the chairman and councillors will expire next year. APC won all the 22 chairmanship seats, thereby controlling all the 23 LGAs.
•Wike
A former Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, who was Amaechi’s Chief of Staff and ex-Chairman of Obio/Akpor LG council of Rivers state, shortly after the 2015 LG poll, as governor-elect, hinted that he would dissolve the LG councils, shortly after his inauguration.
The members of the Rivers House of Assembly, immediately after their inauguration, invited the RSIEC chairman and the commissioners, as well as the chairman and members of the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission (RSJSC) to appear on June 8, which they did.
The Rivers House of Assembly, led by Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani of Andoni constituency, has 31 PDP members and only one lawmaker belonging to the APC.
The Rivers legislators recommended to Wike to dissolve both RSIEC (which conducted the LG election in accordance with the law) and RSJSC, which the governor implemented in the evening of the same June 8, which the Rivers Chairman of the APC, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said was meant to witch-hunt Amaechi and his teeming supporters.
The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Rivers chapter, Chimbiko Iche Akarolo, of Port Harcourt City LG council, declared that Wike had no powers to dissolve the councils, while urging him to go to court, if he was not comfortable with the election.
On June 11, the LG chairmen got wind of the plan by the Rivers lawmakers to recommend to Wike to dissolve the councils and decided to stage a peaceful protest round Port Harcourt, which was terminated at the state’s House of Assembly, with the chairmen vowing to resist the planned unconstitutional dissolution.
The council chairmen and their protesting supporters remained undaunted, in spite of the teargas by the police, who prevented them from accessing the Rivers House of Assembly complex.
Prior to the massive protest, the council chairmen had earlier addressed a news conference at the Port Harcourt LGA (PHALGA) House on William Jumbo Street and declared that if Wike decided to return to self help, they would also opt for it, saying illegality would beget illegality.
They accused Wike of having a sinister plot to plunge Rivers state into another round of avoidable crisis, insisting that they would defend the renascent democracy, warning of dire consequences of dissolving the LG councils.
The displeased LG chairmen stated that the new Rivers governor wanted to turn the state into his personal estate, stressing that Rivers people want bread not bullets, declaring that if it meant dying to defend democracy, they would not mind losing their lives in fighting a just cause and added that Wike was not prepared for governance.
The protesters, armed with placards bearing various inscriptions and chanting anti-Wike songs, shut down Port Harcourt, thereby affecting commercial activities and traffic, with motorists hurriedly making detour, to avoid any incident.
The Commander of the Swift Operation Squad (SOS) in Rivers, Romokere Ibani, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), who led the policemen to stop the protesters in front of the state’s House of Assembly, said there was the need to give peace a chance.
ACP Ibani, a Rivers indigene, said: “We will convey your message to the appropriate quarters. Rivers State belongs to all of us. We should not resort to self help. Politics will come and go. Let us not destroy our place.
“I am pleading for relative peace in Rivers State. It is only when there is peace that we can have development. In the interest of peace, let us go back. We must reason together.”
Some of the placards carried by the chairmen read: “Wike is inviting anarchy to Rivers State, Federal Government must call him to order”, “We cannot be intimidated to abandon out God/people-given mandates. The 23 LGAs’ Chairmen have come to stay for good” “Wike wants to destroy our local councils”, “No to dissolution” “NJC is in Wike’s pocket” “Rivers State is falling fast under Wike” and “Our mandate is sacrosanct.”
Others were: “We shall resist you with every legal means at our disposal. We say no to councils’ dissolution”, “Your election is not more credible than ours. Leave LGAs’ chairmen alone”, “Rivers people want peace, not dissolution”, “Members of Rivers State House of Assembly should concentrate on serving Rivers people, instead of witch-hunting LG chairmen”, “Wike should remember 2014 Supreme Court judgment on tenure of LGAs’ chairmen” and “Dissolution of LGAs is detrimental.”
Inscriptions on placards also included: “Darkness has taken over Rivers State again, FG send help to us now”, “Every action has a reaction, Wike”, “Respect the third tier of government”, “Wike wants to destroy our local councils”, “Rule of law is the beauty of democracy”, “PDP/Wike, leave elected LG chairmen alone”, “Wike is embodiment of thuggery, impunity and everything that is evil, President Buhari, save us.”
The Legal Adviser of ALGON in Rivers State, Sogbeye Eli, of Degema (Kalabari) LG council, who read the speech at the news conference, while responding to reporters’ questions, said: “We have a matter in court. If Wike’s government is a responsible government, the government should wait for the legal process to go through. If the government does not wait for the decision of the court and resorts to self-help, we will resort to self-help. Illegality will beget illegality.
“Wike’s government also has questions over the April 11, 2015 election, before the Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja. If the National Assembly has not been used by anybody to dissolve the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or send its Rivers REC (Resident Electoral Commissioner), Gesila Khan, to jail, we wonder why the hurry and the interest in Rivers State.
“If they (Wike and his allies) subvert the law and the due process of the law, and do anything outside of what the law allows, we will resist it. If that means we are going to die, let us die. The most important thing is that we are going to enforce a regime of resistance.
“Maybe this may be the point local government autonomy will be finally defined. First, let us define Rivers State as no man’s property. If you have a grouse, go to court. People should allow the rule of law to prevail, not the rule of man. Rivers State needs peace. The people want bread not bullets. If you cannot protect lives and property, why are you in government?”
ALGON in Rivers State, in the news conference’s speech, titled: “We Must Defend our Democracy,” declared that danger was looming in the horizon for the prized democracy.
The LG chairmen stated that there was a sinister plot by Wike’s government to plunge Rivers into another round of avoidable crises, after the most mindless bloodletting the state had ever known in its 48-year history, in the name of struggle to wrest transient political power.
On June 18, the Rivers ALGON members called for the immediate dismissal of Justice Lambo Akanbi of the Federal High Court (FHC), Port Harcourt for allegedly taking sides with the PDP and Wike on the plan to dissolve the councils. He was accused of bribery in a case in his court.
The LG chairmen also accused the FHC judge of judicial rascality and impertinence, gross violation of the Nigerian constitution, perpetration of corruption and impunity, thereby sending petition against him to the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate the allegations and dismiss him.
They stated that Justice Akanbi of the FHC One abused court proceedings in the pre-election matter that had gone to the appellate court, which he adjourned sine die (indefinitely) on April 29, 2015, while the appeal court adjourned till October 12, 2015.
The Forum of Concerned Lawyers in Rivers State, through its Chairman, Chris Itamunola, in Port Harcourt, however, called for the arrest of the 23 LG chairmen, while expressing surprise that they could so unjustly accuse Justice Akanbi of taking bribe to see the councils dissolved.
The concerned lawyers said: “The allegation by the Rivers LG chairmen that Justice Lambo Akanbi financially compromised regarding the case that is subsisting in the FHC, is not only serious, but a very contemptuous issue and the option open to the judge is to immediately round them up, get them arrested and send the case to an independent court for trial. Since a judge cannot be a judge in his own court.
“You do not come to the public domain to make such wild and spurious allegations. When this same class of politicians got very favourable judgments before the honourable court and the same Justice Lambo Akanbi, sometime in 2014, regarding the chief judge’s matter and some other ones, there was no wild allegation whatsoever. The music cannot be different in times like this.”
The PDP filed the suit at the FHC, Port Harcourt against holding the LG election on May 23 this year and for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to release the voter registers to the RSIEC. INEC, RSIEC, Governor of Rivers State, Inspector-General of Police and the State Security Service were defendants in the suit.
The then governor of Rivers state (Amaechi) and RSIEC appealed against the order of Justice Akanbi to show cause why the motion filed by the PDP should not be granted.
The LG chairmen noted that Justice Akanbi no longer had jurisdiction to entertain any further proceeding in the case, making him to adjourn sine die, to enable the Court of Appeal to decide the matter.
The Rivers solicitor-general, however, condemned the allegations levelled against him and Justice Akanbi by the LG bosses.
Godwin, in his reaction in Port Harcourt, insisted that he was at the FHC on June 16 to represent the present Rivers government and RSIEC in the matter filed by the PDP against the conduct of the May 23 LG election.
The solicitor-general reiterated that the case was initially adjourned sine die by the court, but resumed to regularise the development on the matter, following a change of government.
Godwin said: “With the new government, common sense should have indicated that it would be unfair to continue with the counsel, who was pursuing a different interest from the interest of the present government. So, the proper thing to do and at a time when there was no Attorney-General, was to debrief him, so that when the matter comes up, we will take over the matter.
“That was why we wrote to Nwofor on June 2 and we also gave a copy to the court, Nwofor knows that ethically, if we have written to him, to say you are no longer the counsel in the matter, you cannot insist that you must continue with the matter as counsel.”
On Monday, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria presided over by Hon. Justice J.T. Agbadu-Fishim, holden at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State granted an Order of Interim Injunction against the governor of Rivers State, the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Attorney-General of Rivers State and their agents from dissolving, suspending, sacking terminating or in any manner whatsoever interfering with the tenure of office of the 23 Local Government Councils of Rivers State.
The order will remain in force until the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for Interlocutory Injunction.
Will Wike respect this order or find a way around it? Time will tell.
The General Manager of the Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation, Medline Tador, has urged parents to help end child marriage.
Tador, who lamented that Africa has the second highest rate of child marriage in the world after South Asia, reiterated that it was time all stakeholders came together to fight the menace.
She spoke at an event to mark this year’s “Day of the African Child”; an annual event organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to draw attention to the plight of African children.
She spoke on the theme: “25 Years After the Adoption of the African Children’s Charter: Accelerating Our Collective Efforts to End Child Marriage” at Abonnema, Akuku- Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Represented by the Director of Production, Constance Amaehule, the General Manager reminded community leaders, traditional and religious organisations, parents and the school of their roles in the fight against early marriage.
She advocated the use of jingles and drama in radio and television houses to highlight its negative effects, and reaffirmed the commitment of Radio Rivers in assisting UNICEF in its health advocacy programmes.
In a remark, the Acting Education Supervisor in Akuku- Toru LGA, Sukubo Nath-Obu, enjoined all to come together to end the practice of early child marriage because it is not good development.
He said that the council would continue to join resources with UNICEF in the crusade against early child marriage, and thanked the organisers for holding this year’s celebration in the area.
The two day event featured art competition and drama presentation by the participating schools to drive home the negative effects of early child marriage.
Also, the General Manager of Rivers State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Chibunma Kakada, identified poor access to good and safe drinking water and poor toilet facilities as some of the challenges facing the girl child.
South Africa has opened a new visa application centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Mokgethi Monaisa, Consul-General of South Africa in Nigeria said that with the rising number of visa applications in Nigeria, the setting up of the Visa Application Centre in Port Harcourt will be critical station for applicants in Rivers and adjoining states.
In his remarks, High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Lulu Mnguni called for the development of tourism ties between Nigeria and South Africa. He said such tourism ties would improve relations between the two countries.
He noted that the Visa Application Centre in Port Harcourt will eliminate the distance barrier hitherto experienced by those in Port Harcourt and the South South states who hitherto travelled to Lagos for their visas.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has commended the South African Government for sending a clear message that the State is safe for business by opening a visa application centre in the state.
Justice Hassan Quadri of the Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has adjourned till July 9 hearing in the application by Governor Nyesom Wike challenging the jurisdiction of the court in the suit filed by the elected chairmen of 23 local government areas.
The court was besieged yesterday by members and supporters of Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), a socio-political group founded by Wike.
They were conveyed to the court by over 70 buses from the various local government areas.
But security agents prevented them from entering the court premises.
The development caused a traffic snarl on the double lane Station Road, through Azikiwe Road, where the state and federal courts are located.
One of the lanes was blocked with security vehicles, buses and GDI members, among others.
About 30 truckloads of men of the Joint Task Force (JTF), comprising the military and police, were at the court venue.
The men and their trucks were stationed at the court gates to keep the GDI members off the court premises and to forestall a breakdown of law and order.
The presence of the GDI members caused panic among lawyers and litigants.
The lawyer and litigants deplored the excitement the local governments’ suit, which is still at the preliminary stage, was generating.
The council chairmen, all members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), are asking the court to prevent the 32 members of the House of Assembly – comprising 31 PDP and one APC members – from dissolving them.
Election into the 22 vacant chairmanship and councillorship positions in the 23 local government areas was conducted in May by then chairman of Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Prof. C. Ahiazu.
Members of the state PDP boycotted the poll, saying the time given for the process was too short.
But other parties participated and APC swept the poll.
Wike, on assumption of office, sacked the chairmen and members of the commission that produced them.
They went to court to upturn their sack.
The absence of legal representation for members of the House of Assembly at the last sitting, on June 17, stalled hearing on Wike’s motion on jurisdiction.
Their former lawyer, Emma Aguma, is now the Attorney- General; the House of Assembly has not briefed another lawyer since then.
Efforts by the appellant’s counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), to secure an order to preserve the seats of the elected council men, pending the time the court will reconvene for the matter, failed.
Justice Quadri said he would not make any formal order since one of the parties was not in court and some of the other parties had not been served with the processes.
The judge hoped the lawmakers would not undermine the suit before him.
He adjourned till yesterday for hearing.
At yesterday’s resumed sitting, the court was faced with a report of “an enrolment order of interim injunction” in favour of the local government chairmen, from the National Industrial Court in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, asking the lawmakers and Wike not to dissolve the council chairmen pending the determination of the suit before it.
The applicants had gone to another court to obtain the interim injunction order. They (council chairmen), were represented in that court by another set of Lawyers.
Presenting the report before the court yesterday, Aguma, led other lawyers, including the Permanent Secretary/Solicitor-General in the Ministry of Justice, Rufus N. Godwins, to represent himself in the matter.
Aguma described the applicant’s conduct as an “abuse of court process”.
He urged the court to dismiss the suit.
Aguma submitted that it was needless for the suit to continue before the court, since the order it sought had been made by another court.
The Justice Commissioner prayed the Federal High Court to throw out the suit to serve as a deterrent to the applicants and other litigants.
Other defendants, including Wike, the lawmakers, the RSIEC, urged the court to dismiss the suit.
But Owonikoko denied knowledge of the suit before the Yenagoa court and the purported order it made in favour of his clients.
The lawyer prayed the court to disregard the application by the defence counsel and dismiss the suit.
He said: “I do not know of any other matter before any court regarding what we are here for, other than this one here. I am not party to the case the Attorney-General is talking about, and I’m not aware of any process. I was not served with any process, neither have I seen one.
“I am the person handling this matter here. I have not abused any court process here and cannot answer for what I am not aware of. If any court process has been abused and should be vacated, then it is not this one here (referring to the matter before Justice Quadri). It should be the latter and not the former.
Moreover, we have not seen the suit before the National Industrial Court, to know whether the reliefs are the same with this before this Federal High Court. I would rather urge the court not to dismiss the suit. Instead, the parties should come properly before the court with affidavits stating their facts on the abuse of court process so that it can be properly argued and determined on its merit.”
