7th October, 2015
The three Senators representing Rivers State in the National Assembly on Wednesday kicked off plot to stop the confirmation of a former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, as minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with submission of an 88-page petition against the former governor.
Amaechi was one of the 21 ministerial nominees of President Muhammadu Buhari announced Tuesday by the Senate President Bukola Saraki.
But ahead of the screening of the ministerial nominees scheduled for next Tuesday, three Senators from Rivers State – George Thompson Sekibo (Rivers East), Olaka Nwogu (Rivers South-East) and Osinakachukwu Ideazu (Rivers West) submitted an 88-page petition to the Senate against Amaechi demanding that he should not be confirmed as a minister.
Senator Sekibo who submitted the petition on behalf of his two other colleagues said it was written by a Non Governmental Organisation, “The Integrity Group” based in Port Harcourt. The petition titled “Petition against ministerial nominee- Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi: Demand to withdraw and reject his nomination and appointment on the ground of corruption, criminal breach of trust, unlawful enrichment and conversion of over N70 billion Rivers peoples’ monies by the former governor of Rivers State,” signed by Livingstone Wechie on behalf of the group was submitted amidst protest by members of All Progressives Congress, APC, on the floor of the Senate.
In spite of the strong protests, Senator Sekibo read the synopsis of the petition which he said bordered principally on allegations of corruption and criminal breach of trust against Amaechi.
Senate President Bukola Saraki later referred the petition to the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges for consideration.
“There is this group that is called ‘The Integrity Group.’ They believe in transparency, fighting against corruption, they believe in good governance and effective utilisation of every fund that is allocated to any state government. They are based in Port Harcourt. They went into a research and discovered that over N70 billion was transferred from hard currency account to places outside the country,” Sekibo told reporters.
“Amaechi is qualified to be a minister but when issues of corruption and fraud are openly x-rayed by people, it is necessary for Mr. President to take a critical look and examine the allegations from these people whether they are true or not,” added Sekibo who added that President Buhari would not have nominated Amaechi as a minister if he had seen the petition.