Updated: Rivers Assembly delists Omehia as ex-Gov

Rivers Assembly has passed a motion delisting Celestine Omehia as a former Governor of the state.

The motion was presented at the plenary by a member representing Obio-Akpor Constituency 1, Amaewhule Martin Chike.

The document dated October 6, 2022 was titled: “motion to rescind the Rivers State House of Assembly resolution on the recognition of Sir Celestine Omehia as a former Governor of Rivers State and the restoration of all Benefits and Entitlement due to him”.

Chike recalled that on June 30, 2015, a motion was moved, seconded, and debated upon and a resolution was passed in favour of the recognition of Omehia as a former Governor and for the restoration of all privileges and entitlements accruing to former Governors.

He further remembered that in line with the resolution, the State Government vide an instrument published in the official gazette of the Rivers State of Nigeria No. 5, volume 52 of March 2016 under the hand of Governor Nyesom Wike recognised Omehia as a former Governor and restored all his privileges and entitlements.

The lawmaker said Omehia later received a lot in financial benefits and entitlements from the government including N600m benefits and N96.5m monthly pension as of September 2022.

He, however, recalled that the Supreme Court in the case of Amaechi v INEC had declared Amaechi as the valid governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2007 general election and referred to Omehia as a pretender to the office.

He emphasised that the Supreme Court held that in the eyes of the law, Omehia was never a candidate in the election much less the winner.

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Chike said: “The continued recognition of Sir Celestine Omehia as a former Governor of Rivers State and the continued granting of privileges and entitlements accruing to all former governors of Rivers State to him is not in tandem with the highlighted pronouncement of the Supreme Court and the provision of the 1999 Constitution”.

He called on the house to rescind its resolution of 2015 and called on Governor Wike to derecognise Omehia as a former governor.

He also asked the House to call on the governor to terminate all privileges, benefits and entitlements accruing to all former governors currently being enjoyed by Omehia.

He said the House should direct Omehia to cease forthwith from using the title, “His Excellency”, and the suffix, “Grand Service Star of Rivers State (GSSRS)” used only by governors and former governors of the state.

He further said Omehia should be directed to refund all monies paid to him by the state government as benefits and entitlements, particularly N600m benefits and N96.5m monthly pensions to the treasury of the state government within seven days from the date of the resolution.

All 21 members of the House present at the plenary voted in favour of the motion and the House adopted the resolution.

Ruling in favour of the motion, Speaker Ibani directed that the resolution should be passed to the governor for his rectification.