RIVERS: FUBARA ORDERS PANEL TO FISH OUT KILLERS, ARSONISTS
● Urges panelists to be bold and courageous
By PHC Telegraph
Fubarain a handshake with the Chairman of the Judicial Commission
Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has urged members of a seven-man judicial panel to fish out the sponsors of arson and killings that have trailed the successful conduct of the Rivers State Local Government Election.
The Governor gave the directive Tuesday at Government House when he inaugurated a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to get at the immediate and remote causes of the arson, killings, and destruction of property at various Local Government Council Headquarters in the State.
“I have decided to take this action”, Fubara said, “to find out the immediate and remote causes of this arson, most importantly, no matter the personalities involved, we must bring them to book.
“So, this assignment is a very important. It is an assignment that, if it is not done rightly, would give the enemies of this State opportunity to continue.
“And if we are right, it is going to be the end of further destruction of public property in the State. I know it is going to be very tasking. I can assure you that there will be threats, but you have to be strong.”
Governor Fubara vowed his administration will not look away while ill-guided youths and sponsored political thugs turn the State into a theatre of violence without being made to pay for such crimes.
“It has become very clear that rather than getting close to the path of peace, this State is gradually turning into a kingdom where law and order is no longer the order of the day. And we cannot fold our hands and allow such thing to happen.
“On the 5th of October, 2024, about four days ago, we had an election in this State. Before the election, we also heard from a lot of quarters, songs of war, (and) threats but we never took them seriously”, Fubara remarked.
He said this was “because we believed that a local government election is a prerogative of the State Government. It has nothing to do with anybody anywhere that is outside the confinement of our State.
“And for that reason, we believed strongly that whatever it is, we could manage it to produce the purpose of that election.”
Members of the Judicial Commission pose for press cameras on Tuesday after they were inaugurated by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Governor Fubara further said: “But, it is very unfortunate that after the election, even while the election was going on, several things happened, which we managed, thinking it was going to end there.
“The day after the election, there were also more threats from people, and we also thought it was just a normal threat, believing that it was not going to be out of hand but it did.”
The commission has one month to conclude its assignment.
It has Hon. Justice Ibiwengi Roseline Minakiri as Chairman; Mrs. Inyingi Brown as the Secretary; and Barrister Uzor Ikenga as the Counsel.
Other members are Barrister Felicia Nwoke; Prof. Blessing Didia; Sir Samuel Egbe; and Venerable Alex Usifor.