The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has shunned the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Rivers State Government to investigate the arson, killings and wanton destruction of property in some local government headquarters of the state.

Recall that Governor Siminalayi Fubara inaugurated the seven-man panel headed by Justice Ibiwengi Minakiri in early October, which was given one month to conclude its assignment.

The panel had summoned Wike, through courier service and a newspaper advertorial signed by its chairperson, to appear before it on Tuesday, November 19, 2024.

However, in her remarks at the end of the commission sittings on Tuesday, Minakiri disclosed that the FCT minister did not honour the invitation, saying the day was solely reserved for him to appear to clarify some grey areas.

She stated, “Today’s sitting was actually for the former Governor of Rivers State to appear before this commission to straighten some points that we needed to know.

“That is just the only reason we are sitting today. Otherwise, our sitting would have ended yesterday. But we had waited, hoping that he would be here. We have given some.

“So today will mark the last day we are sitting. As we rise today, that brings us to the end of the sitting of this Commission, except there is a direction from His Excellency to do otherwise as permitted by the law under which we are operating.”

Justice Minakiri expressed worry that Wike, who was expected to appear before the panel on Tuesday, and some other invitees who were expected to appear before the seven-man commission on Monday, including the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Chief Tony Okocha, neither appeared nor were represented by any legal counsel.

“You can see from the way the hall is looking there is actually no strange face here. There is nobody here. So, in the absence of all that, we made publications inviting people we want to hear from alongside His Excellency (Nyesom Wike). However, I have noticed that there’s nobody here. So that brings us to the end of the sitting,” the panel’s chairman stated.

She, however, said the panel will go ahead and submit its report despite the refusal of some of the invitees to appear before it, including the FCT Minister.

Minakiri said, “So I want to thank every one of you who has been coming, and we have those who just came in today and to tell you that you have made our job easy for us.

“Your presence encouraged us all through our sittings. We do hope that at the end of the day whatever comes up after this sitting will be indeed to the benefit of Rivers State, the entirety of Rivers State and the people of Rivers State. So I want to say thank you so much for your presence.”

Our correspondent reports that Okocha, an ally of the FCT minister and the former local government chairmen of Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor, Ahoada West and Eleme, who were also summoned by the commission to appear before it on November 18th, 2024, were conspicuously absent and did not send any representation. (The PUNCH)

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