Rivers rerun: Group drags Wike to court over Commission of Inquiry

The International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights has dragged the Rivers State Government before a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt for constituting a commission of inquiry into the incidents that took place during the December 10 rerun legislative elections in the state.

Governor Wike had on the 22nd of December 2016 constituted a commission of inquiring to find out the remote and immediate causes of the violence and killings that allegedly marred the conduct of the rerun elections.

Briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt, the chancellor of the group, Omenzu Jackson and Paul Nealwoala, who is the director of the legal service described the panel set up by the state government as illegl.
Jackson claimed that Rivers State government lacked the constitutional right and standing to constitute a panel of inquiry to investigate the killing that took place in supplementary elections.
In the case with Suit No: FHC/PH/CS/02/2017 sighted by DAILY POSTn the rights group questioned the legal standing of the state government in the constitution of the panel, just as they want to know where the defendants and the respondents got their power to set up the panel.
The defendent in the suit are the Rivers State government, Attorney General of the State and the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Jackson said, “A state government cannot drag the Federal Government before it’s commission of Inquiry or whatever. It is unheard of. And it won’t start here in Rivers state. That is why we want the court to stop this move by the Governor of Rivers State. Only an independent body can investigate the Federal Government.”
Nwankwoala disclosed that the group had obtained an order of the court that restrained the committee chairman, Secretary and members of the Rivers State commission of inquiry from continuing with proceedings on the matter.