Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has berated the Department of
State Services (DSS ) for resorting to deliberate misinformation and
concocted stories to justify their unconstitutional assault on the
nation’s judiciary.
The governor stressed that the DSS lacks the constitutional powers to be
involved in the legal process to discipline a serving judicial official,
pointing out that there is a legal process that must be followed.
Addressing the people of Rivers State on Saturday night during a special
dinner for the management and players of Rivers United at the Government
House, Port Harcourt, Governor Wike said the weak blackmail of the DSS
will not lessen the crime they have committed against the Nigerian State
by assaulting the judiciary.
He noted that nobody is deceived by the concocted figures being circulated
by the DSS.
He said: “Their blackmail stories will not move me. They will concoct all
kinds of stories to justify this undemocratic illegality perpetrated
against the judiciary.
“It is really unfortunate that DSS would concoct a false defence that
$2million USD , (that is N900million) was found in the house of the
judge.It is unfortunate that the DSS is coming up with flimsy excuses. ”
It will be recalled that the governor and the DSS Operatives had their
encounter outside the gate of the residence. It is therefore ridiculous
that the DSS remained outside to decare thar N900million was found in
the residence.
The governor noted that while he does not condone corruption , he will
never support any process that is targeted at ruining the nation’s
judiciary.
He stated that the National Judicial Council has the responsibility to
discipline erring and corrupt judges, after which indicted judicial
officers are handed over to the relevant law enforcement agency for
prosecution.
The governor said that the Police, Army and other para-military
agencies have their respective processes for the discipline of erring
and corrupt officers.
“In the police, erring and corrupt policemen are first given orderly
room trial, sacked and then appropriately prosecuted. For Judicial
Officers, the DSS has no role”, he said.
Governor Wike added: “This impunity must stop.I am not in support of any
judicial support being involved in corruption.
What we are saying is that the right things must be done. We must not do
things that will jeopardise our hard earned democracy.
“If they had abducted the judge, they may go ahead to kill the judge and
they will say that Rivers State is insecure.”
The governor added that he resorted to offering the explanation because
of the propensity of the DSS and other agencies to use newspapers and
the media to manipulate information.
He said: “The way things are going nobody should relax. Freedom comes with
sacrifice. Independence comes with sacrifice. Liberty comes with
sacrifice.
He said: “We must resist this injustice. Nobody can intimidate Rivers
people. If you use to do that, not now. I am informing you before you will
read whatever lies they wiĺl circulate in newspapers.”
The governor noted that contrary to false statement issued by the DSS he
was with senior Rivers indigenes at the time of stopping the DSS
unconstitutional act.
He said: “I was there with our State and National Assembly members, Former
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Austin Opara , the
PDP Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah and some caretaker chairmen. When they said
I was with thugs I just laughed.”