Prominent civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Friday, joined the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Delta North Senatorial District, Ned Nwoko in his call for the expulsion of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State from the PDP over his constant tantrums and belaboured rebellion.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, also faulted the Rivers State Government for saying Nwoko’s consulting company, Linas International Ltd rendered “bogus and unverifiable service” around the Paris Refund and does not deserve to be paid the consultancy fee agreed by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
The group said claims made by the corporate entity set up by Ned Nwoko a United Kingdom’s trained Maritime Lawyer made it unambiguously clear that Nwoko’s company rendered its service to the governors’ forum as attested to by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN). HURIWA also said it is not in the place of a commissioner in Rivers State to make libellous innuendo targeted at attempting to impugn the credibility of Ned Nwoko who was at the Federal House of Representatives when Governor Wike was just one of the many boys of his then State governor in Rivers State.
Whilst not describing as baseless and unfounded the suit filed by the governors forum under the then leadership of Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State stopping Nwoko from demanding his consultancy fee, HURIWA said it is shocked that a matter before a competent court of law is being dragged into the political mud by a commissioner in one of the State that is a plaintiff in the pending suit. “HURIWA as a promoter of Human Rights and constitutionalism, recognises the right of the governors to go to court against the Consultants including the company of the prominent philanthropist Prince Ned Nwoko, but it is wrong for the Rivers State Commissioner for information to introduce the court’s matter into political arena rather than face the issues raised about alleged anti-party activities by the Rivers State’s governor against his party- the political platform that brought him into National limelight.
HURIWA also said contrary to the mischievous claims by the Rivers State Government, what the NGF allegedly owned Nwoko’s firm is 68 million dollars and not 418 million dollars, noting that if at the end of the litigation, it is lawfully determined that the Ned Nwoko controlled consulting firm legitimately earned the funds and deserves to be paid under law, the governors forum dont have any choice but to comply by the rule of law.
On the other hand, Nwoko, a card-carrying member of the PDP, recently said Wike is a “nuisance” that has done a lot of “damage” to the PDP and should be thrown out over his persistent call for the sacking of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
Commenting on the row between Nwoko and the Rivers State Government, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “The claims by the Rivers State Government is surprising and alarming. Why not leave the matter at pure politics between two party chieftains? Why bring in the Paris Club Refund into the matter? This is political mischief taken too far and condemnable!
“The claims by the Rivers State information commissioner that Nwoko wants to “swindle” the states and “obtain free money” for a service not rendered is both fallacious and libellous because as far as the law is concerned and as attested to by the AGF, Nwoko’s company entered an agreement with the NGF and they should pay him his consultancy fee especially if the Court determines. Quite simple!
“HURIWA urges Nwoko to sue the Commissioner for making such a statement not supported by law by introducing an aspect that Nwoko wanted to scam the governors forum when the dispute is purely a commercial litigation and therefore impugning the good name of the genuine philanthropist and billionaire.
“In the simple analysis of the matter, a governor should not hold a whole party to ransom just a few months to elections. Wike has been seen supporting Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, an All Progressives Congress governor despite that the PDP has a candidate in Lagos. Is this democracy at all? Nwoko’s stance that the party expel Wike for anti party activities is therefore justified.
“However, it is important to state that HURIWA remains apolitical and only support the people’s choice in elections.”