…asks Ameachi to pay Wike N1m
By Ife Osemedua
365Daily – The Supreme Court has given the government of Rivers State to proceed with its probe of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi over an alleged N96 billion fraud.
The investigation of Amaechi, who is the predecessor of the incumbent Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, is to cover his 8 years of running affairs of the State.
This followed dismissal of an appeal filed by Amaechi to stop the probe on Friday, May 27, 2022.
In a lead judgment prepared by Justice Emmanuel Augie but read by Justice Adamu Jairo, the Apex Court dismissed the appeal of Mr Ameachi on grounds that the issue of not been given fair hearing does not arise as no one is on trial.
The Court noted that the Rivers State probe is to be undertaken by a panel of enquiry and not a trial.
The Transport Minister had told the court that his request to stop the enquiry was because it was aimed at witch-hunting, embarrassing, humiliating and disgracing him because of his political differences with his successor.
Governor Wike had insisted that the Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice George Omekeji was to look into how N96 billion was allegedly withdrawn from the Treasury of the state government and how it was expended.
The court also ordered Amaechi to pay the sum of one million naira to Governor Wike as cost.