Chief O.T.K.D Amachree, a Port Harcourt based legal practitioner at the weekend spoke with our Managing Editor, Damiete West on plethora of issues ranging from the classification of Chieftaincy stools, crisis in the Rivers judiciary, 2015 governorship election in Rivers to the activities in the on-going National Confab. Excerpt:
Quest: You have been silence for sometime on issues concerning Rivers State. Why?
Ans: I belong to a profession where we are taught to be conservative. And as a lawyer you know that until you have briefed to talk on a situation you don’t talk. But as an ordinary member of the society, I have said so much in the past, and nothing seems to be new anymore, and it is frustrating that changes that you expect don’t come. So instead of talking and looking as if you are confrontational you better take the stance of our past President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who says “sit down look” so we are looking.
Quest: Penultimate Saturday, the Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi at a public function in Abonnema, headquarters of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, said that he would begin consultation within the month of June whether or not to upgrade the Amanyanabo stool of Abonnema to first (1st) class. What is your opinion?
Ans: My take on that is simple. The Amanyanabo of Abonnema is a respected traditional ruler; he is an important figure in the Kalabari kingdom. He is also deserve whatever recognition, government gives to him. But I think the government is not doing the right thing, because when there is an exercise to recognize and classify chieftaincies, there ought to be a referendum, it is not the kind of political referendum we are talking about. Kingship is a traditional institution. You do not upgrade people to cause problems within a kingdom. I have agreed that in other local government areas, some have four (4), five (5) first (1st) class traditional rulers. Ofcourse in Kalabari land, we deserve more 1st class traditional rulers, because when you talk of chieftaincy I don’t think there is any community or traditional society in Rivers State, infact in Ijaw land that can boast of chieftaincy before Kalabari people. None. But the idea of selective elevation of people to classes of recognition by government is not a right thing. There are few cases pending in the courts that I know of where our governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi had gone on unrelated subject matters and right on the spot, it is announced that, somebody has been recognized. It is not fair because there are many people waiting to be recognized, even the past recognized chieftaincies, there are some that need elevation and so it should be taken on a global basis. Every community should be asked to submitted memorandum and then from it government could set up a panel and actually make for a wide range of coverage. So that when elevations are made, when new recognition is accorded, it will be that the government did it homework well. Otherwise, some of these elevations look like political.
Quest: The Rivers Ijaws, especially the Kalabaris are claiming that 2015 is their turn to produce the governor of Rivers State, while the Ogonis say it is their’s. Where do you stand?
Ans: Well, that is a very difficult situation and a very difficult question, because I am a Rivers man and by my age, I think I am becoming an elder in this state. I have always said that whoever wants to become governor must work hard to sell himself to the people.
You do not stay in your house and to wishfully think that you want to become a governor. There was once I fled a kite that I wanted to be governor, I did not just stay in my house but I did some consultations. Who say that the Kalabari man is not qualified to be a governor? For goodness sake, any Kalabariman of over 35 years with good standing can be a governor. So also can anybody in the state become a governor. And when you bring it down to the Kalabari and the Ogoni, then you are compelling me to make a choice, and of course you know that I will choose my Kalabari over any other community. It will be nice that a Kalabari man becomes a governor and he will have my support.
But I am for excellence. Let all those who are qualified contest, it is the people that will choose. If as it is being rumoured that the next governor of this state will come from rigging of election results, that is what some people have up in their sleeves, they should better go and think again because that will be very difficult to be achieved now.
People are ready to ensure that popular will prevailed. And so I am for a Kalabari governor-hundred percent (100%).
And also for excellence-hundred percent (100%). Who says I cannot be governor. Have they asked me? Me too I want to be governor. So I wish all of us well.
Quest: Are you also contesting the governorship seat?
Ans: Well, if the stakeholders say come and contest, I will tell my clients to give me four (4) years and I will go and contest.
Quest: Is it right to constitute Caretaker Committees (CTCs) in the Rivers LGAs, after the expiration of the tenure of the elected chairmen and their councilors?
Ans: This is a topic that has elicited several comments. I have made my comments in the media before now. And I know that in Rivers State, there is law that says that the period could be extended. My problem is that the Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended stipulates clearly that every local government area in Nigeria shall be administered by a democratically elected executive. I know that there is at least one decided case in Nigeria which says that appointment of Caretaker Committee (CTC) in any state is not constitutional. But Governors have been doing it, and unfortunately in Rivers State it has happened again. If the process of transition from one president to the other, from one governor to the other is consistent and there is no gap, no vacuum for caretaker to be set up. Why should it happen for the councils? When we are all mount it every day that there are three tiers of government. That is the way they have degraded the local government system and that is why nothing is working at the local government level. It is a situation where people are merely patronized because of their loyalty and allegiance to the powers that be. I think it is a rape on our democracy to appoint Caretaker Committee members for the local government councils in Rivers State.
Quest: If you are to contest the governorship seat, on which political party or platform will you contest?
Ans: That is a question and it is a tricky one. For now I am not a very active politician, but you know that every human being is a political animal. When the stakeholders call on me to contest, I will assure them that I am of age, I have the educational qualification and my tax payments are in order. So I am prepared. I wouldn’t choose a party now.
Quest: Considering the crisis rocking the Rivers judiciary; whom do you think is in charge: Daisy Okocha, Agumangu or Governor Amaechi?
Ans: That is an area that one must tread carefully, because cases on that issue are pending in law courts. And as a lawyer I know that I am not allowed to make comments on live issues that are before courts of law. But I heard over the radio that the NJC gave some directives, so that the administration of Justice in Rives State does not suffer, because of vacuum created in the ongoing issues surrounding the appointment of a Chief Judge of the state. I would not give preference because like I said the matter is pending in courts. The big players in this issue of appointment of a Chief Judge ought to sit down and talk eyeball to eyeball, heart to heart, reason for reason and make up their minds what is best for this state. We cannot continue to be unnecessarily diverted in our opinions in the way we see things and the way we do things, because people are now decided to take sides in a matter that is purely administrative. I think I will stop there, because the matter still await the pronouncements of the courts.
Quest: Do you see any prospect in the ongoing National confab?
Ans: I think I must thank our President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for giving opportunity to Nigerians to engage in what is called the National confab. The extent to which they will succeed, I cannot tell now. But if you ask me whether they are doing business in Abuja, I can confirm to you from the live debates and contributions made in sessions. I think they are very very strong and also serious minded. Whatever their conclusion will be; we still need to go to the National Assembly for affirmation because that will lead to a very serious amendment of our constitution that has already been amended three (3) times. The President has threatened that he would make the decisions of the National confab valid or effective by calling a referendum. I think that will be a high jump for him, because we already have representatives elected by all constituencies in the federation in the National Assembly for example, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Agreed that those in the confab are also Nigerians, prominent Nigerians coming from the states of the federation.
But there is no way more than 400 conferees will translate to 774 LGAs in Nigeria. There is no way more than 400 conferees will have the views of over one hundred and fifty million Nigerians. What am I might saying? The elected persons have wider coverage of those who elected them. They were not elected based on profession, they were not elected based on the fact that they are retired Army generals or former ministers or former intelligentials or aristocrats or traditional rulers. So the difficulty will be how to push whatever decision that will be taken as to become part of our constitution. Barring that, I think the idea was well planned, but ill timed. I hope there wouldn’t be a clash between the executive and the legislature, when it comes to what is to be done with the decisions the confab will be arrived at. ###
