Senator Samuel Anyawu
The Chairman, Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Ethics, Public Petitions and Privileges, Senator Samuel Anyanwu has been very busy treating petitions brought to its Committee on Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi and Amina Ibrahim Muhammed as a result of their names which were forwarded to the Senate alongside 21 others by President Muhammadu Buhari for ministerial appointments.
It would be recalled that for two consecutive times, Senator Samuel Anyanwu asked for time to enable its Committee to properly carry out a clinical examination of Amaechi, hence he was not screened along with the first batch even as his name reflected on the Order Paper as number 10 on Wednesday 14th October, 2015.
The question most Nigerians are asking is what is so sacrosanct about the Committee’s report that appears not to be ready despite that Mr Amaechi and the petitioner, Mr Uwechie, Chairman of Integrity Group had faced the Commitee since the past two weeks. This to many remains reprehensible to discerning minds.
The delay in turning in the report of its findings, even if it is for good or bad reasons, according to political watchers has allowed external forces to interfere in the duties and responsibilities of National Assembly.
Some analysts believe that such interference may frustrate the principle of fair hearing.
However, most Nigerians have placed a huge demand on the Committee on Ethics, Public Petitions and Privileges to be well accountable and transparent in the conduct of its duties, but the Amaechi’s scenario has become a major concern even as it poses a litmus test as to what the Committee represents.
Given the Latin maxim “res ipsa loquitor”, which literally means “let the truth be told”, PDP stalwart who pleaded not to be mentioned said he was not part of the plot to disqualify Amaechi. He told DAILY POST this: ” I’m definitely not part of this plot. I do not think it’s right to start behaving like we are witch hunting him. Many people are already saying that. How can President Muhammadu Buhari forward a name of the former governor of Rivers State for ministerial appointment on 30th September, 2015 and a white paper on the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry indicting Ameachi be hurriedly packaged on October 8th. It is wrong because Amaechi while taking his defense before the Committee had shown evidence that the matter was already in court,” he said.
He said Senator Anyanwu’s claim that Senators were not divided in their opinions on the grounds that Senate is not the Court was correct, as where the powers of the Committee’s oversight functions stop, that of the Court to adjudicate on what has been brought before it begin.
DAILY POST investigation further reveals that those Senators in the Committee who in their opinion wanted Amaechi to be screened because the matter was in court, are those of the All Progressives Congress, APC, thus, without pretence of those that hold the gavel, the ‘poly-tricks’ introduced to Amaechi’s case will definitely limit the Committee’s report to a mere worthless document.
Findings from the historical archives of Judicial Commission of Inquiry, the world over, show that it’s investigative report were usually challenged at the High Court and this means, it has no coordinate jurisdiction with the high Court as members of the panel were appointed by government in Power. This to some extent, is the argument of those who believe that Amaechi’s fate must not depend on the decision of the judgment of the commission.
A point of refernce as widely held is the case of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who went to Court 16 times in 2007 when he wanted to contest in an election, challenging the white paper report that indicted him up to the Supreme Court and it was later set aside for lack of merit.
DAILY POST recalls that the 19 page White Paper Report by Rivers State government under the Chairmanship of Honourable Justice George Otakpo Omereshi shows that the terms of reference on issues raised were those within the powers of the executive governor of the state, hence National Assembly may not be the appropriate ground for these issues to be addressed.
However, Senator George Sekibo from Rivers was upbeat when he said, “The petition written against Rotimi Amaechi on refund of 75 billion he stole which he kept in a foreign account has been referred to the appropriate Committee and I hope the Committee would do justice,” Sekibo said.
Sekibo also suggested that President Buhari should have forwarded the name of a more credible Rivers indegene who is a member of APC instead of Amaechi who has dents all over him.
Relatively, Senator Ighoyota Amori from Delta Central described Amaechi as a character of many controversies. He cautioned the Senate to be careful and not to play to the gallery by passing Amaechi without subjecting him to morality test as Nigerians were already waiting to rate them.
He however denied that all PDP Senators were against Amaechi because of the role he played in working against former President, Goodluck Jonathan who hails from their geographical zone.
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