By Emmanuel Nduka
Former Nigerian Minister of Transportation and Presidential hopeful under the platform of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has lost his legal battle seeking to stop his probe in an alleged N96bn fraud and an alleged fraudulent sales of valued assets belonging to Rivers State.
The Supreme Court in a judgment delivered on Friday, ordered Amaechi to go and face the Commission of Inquiry set up by the Rivers State Government to investigate his eight-year tenure as Governor of the state.
The apex court dismissed Amaechi’s appeal where he had asked for order of the court to prohibit his successor, Governor Nyesom Wike from investigating his eight-year tenure.
Justice Adamu Jauro who read the judgment in the Amaechi’s suit, held that it lacked merit, ought to be dismissed and was subsequently dismissed.
The Supreme Court affirmed the judgments of the High Court of Rivers State and that of the Court of Appeal which had earlier dismissed same suit for want of substance and merit.
The court also slammed N1m fine against Amaechi.
With the final decision of the apex court, Amaechi will be made to appear before the Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice George Omekeji to give account of how N96bn was allegedly withdrawn from the Treasury of the state government and how it was expended.
The Commission of Inquiry inaugurated by Wike is positioned to look into the lawful or otherwise of the alleged sales of valuable assets of the state.The listed valuable assets are Omoku Gas Turbine, Afam Gas Turbine, Trans Amadi Gas Turbine, Eleme Gas Turbine, Olympia Hotel and the award of contract for the execution of Mono Rail Project.
