Akanimo Sampson: Probe Omehia Over N100M Funding

The current robust political romance between the Rivers State wing of the Action Congress, AC, and Governor Chibuike Amaechi's administration is likely to hit the rocks soon if the governor fails to yield to pressure by the party to probe Celestine Omehia, over his alleged funding of cult\militia activities in the state to the tune of N100million a month.

Omehia who held sway as the governor of the state from May 29, 2007 was ousted by the Supreme Court last October 25. During his brief stay in office, AC was a thorn in the flesh of the Omehia administration.

Following the news leak that the aborted Omehia administration was allegedly oiling the unwholesome activities of cult cum militant groups with a monthly N100million allocation, the obviously shaken AC is busy making a political capital out of the potentially dangerous allegation.

AC Media Chief Eze Eze, said in Port Harcourt, the state capital on Monday, ''we will like the State Government to set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate this absurdity and ascertain if the current insecurity in the State is associated to the refusal of the present administration to abide by such unholy agreement. If ascertained to be true the State Government should accordingly expose those behind such unprincipled practice and apportion the adequate punishment to such offenders''.

Continuing, the partgy said, ''the level of lawlessness, bestiality, bloodbath, bickering and criminal activities in the State which have nothing to do with the agitation for a better Rivers State or the untold hardship being experience by our people due to environmental degradation occasioned by oil exploration activities in our State and region has compelled us to reiterate once again our new year stand emphasizing that we have no other State to call our own except Rivers State and we are not expecting either the FG or any other group or people from other States to maintain peace or build our State for us if w can not do it by ourselves''.

''In this regard we once again ask Ateke Tom the Leader of Niger Delta Vigilante Movement, NDVM, and every other militant group in the region to toe the line of peace and lay down their arms and embrace the amnesty extended to repentant militants for the interest of our children and unborn generations while we appeal to Sekibo and every other stakeholder in the State to assist the government of the day in sustaining peace and avoid any step or inflammatory statement that may cause disaffection, acrimony or division among our people. Let the spirit of brotherhood prevail for once in our State in order for us to move the State forward as the continued bickering among us will continue to make us a laughing stock among our fellow Nigerians and the International Community'', they added.

In order to sustain the current peace effort of the Federal Government, AC said the Amaechi administration should grant unconditional amnesty to all repenting cultists and militants in the state. They also want government to fashion out a program to provide employment to most of the unemployed youths.

''Considering the vital role the state is playing in the socio-economic development of the country we expect that every positive step that need to be taken to arrest youth restiveness in the State should be encouraged and implemented. The continued delay in implementing the master plan for the development of the region is no longer fashionable, the earlier the much neglect the State and the region have suffered in the hands of past administrations at the centre are addressed the better for all of us,'' AC said.

Adding, the party said, "on our own we have decided to be tools for the peace, emancipation and development of Rivers state and indeed, the entire Niger Delta".

ENDS

Akanimo Sampson, is the Co-ordinator of Journalists for Niger Delta (JODEL), a media group concerned with the affairs of Nigerria's oil and gas region.

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