- It’s Witch-hunt, You Can’t Shave My Hair Behind Me — Tony Okocha
- Your Absence Won’t Stop Commission From Submitting Findings– Rivers Govt.
By Kolawole Ojebisi
As expected by political observers and analysts, the absence of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and his allies, from the commission of inquiry probing the violence that erupted in the wake of the local government elections in Rivers state has led to exchange of words between the camps of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and that of his immediate predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
This is as the seven-man commission concluded its investigation on Wednesday.
The commission headed by Justice Ibiwengi Minakiri was set up by governor Fubara following the burning of three local government secretariats in the state on October 7.
The arson followed the mayhem that trailed the conduct of the controversial October 5 local government election in the state.
The probe panel had invited Wike and others, including the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress(APC)in the state, Tony Okocha, but they all shunned the invitation.
Also invited were former local government chairmen of Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor, Ahoada West and Eleme but the duo, believed to be Wike’s allies, also failed to honour the invitation.
The panel summoned Wike through courier service and newspaper advertorial signed by its chairman to appear before it on Tuesday, November 19, 2024.
However, as the panel concluded its sitting on Wednesday, the non-appearance of these politicans has elicited claims and counter-claims from the pro-Fubara and pro-Wike camps.
Justifying his absence at the panel sitting, Okocha said he had just returned from a trip to China and proceeded with the party’s congresses which was ongoing.
The APC chieftain said he could not have been invited on the pages of newspapers.
“I was not invited. I don’t even know about it. I just came back from China and commenced the APC congresses, which started on Saturday till the 30th of this month.
“So, nobody invited me. I couldn’t have been invited in the pages of the newspaper if anything like that had happened.
“Second is the fact that you cannot shave somebody’s hair behind the person. So whatever they want to do, let them carry on. I don’t know. I have no business with that.
“At the fullness of time, when it becomes important, when it becomes necessary when they deem it fit that I should be invited, if for whatever reason they have any information about me or against me, I’ll be game.”
He, however, said, “For now, nobody invited me. What you are just telling me now as far as I am concerned, is news. Don’t forget that I had noted in my media engagements that the governor is at liberty to set up any commission and as much as he wants.”
Okocha wondered why no panel had been set up by the governor to investigate the bombing of the state House of Assembly last year and the attack on the state APC secretariat.
He described the motive of the panel of inquiry as a political witch-hunt.
“I also said that in doing so, the governor (Fubara) should look at the fire incident in the assembly and he should look at the bombing and fire incident at the secretariat of the APC so that it will be inclusive.
“But as far as I am concerned, this one is a political witch-hunt and I’m too big to fall for that trap,” Chief Okocha stated.
However, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, said the refusal of Wike and his allies to honour the panel’s invitation was disappointing.
Johnson stressed that the shunning of the commission would not prevent it from submitting its report.
“Well, it’s quite disappointing that these people refused to turn up. Well, you can’t fault them.
“Their absence will not stop the work of the commission of inquiry. They (the panel) will submit their findings and then the next step will follow,” he said.
