Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has tasked members of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by his government to urgently investigate the heinous carnage and arson perpetrated in some local government areas of the State on Monday by some hoodlums.
Gov. Fubara while inaugurating the 7-member Judicial Panel in Government House, Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said that it has become necessary to investigate the incidents that resulted in carnage, destruction of government property and causing death and bodily harm on some citizens.
He noted that setting up the Commission of Inquiry has been long overdue with similar acts of brigandage that occurred last year but because of the thinking that as one family, differences could be resolved, he has delayed it until this current event which clearly showed that they were not prepared for peace.
Gov. Fubara urged members of the Commission to be courageous and brace up for any eventuality and ensure that there is no sacred cow as everyone who is remotely or directly involved should not be spared but brought to justice, stressing that the incidence was almost turning the State into a kingdom where law and order are no longer the order of the day and vowed not to fold his hands while the State is being destroyed.
“On October 5, just four days ago, we held an election in this State. Before the election, we heard alarming threats and calls for conflict, but we did not take them seriously because we believed that a local government election is the prerogative of the State government. It has nothing to do with anyone outside the confines of our State, and we strongly believed that we could manage any challenges that arose to fulfill the purpose of that election.”
“Unfortunately, after the election—and even during it—various incidents occurred that we managed, thinking it would end there. The day after the election, more threats were issued, which we thought were just typical threats that would not escalate. It is very unfortunate that on Monday, we witnessed events reminiscent of those before 2015, when courts were bombed, houses were burnt, and murder and assassination were rampant, leading to the closure of courts. We cannot fold our hands as a government and allow this to happen again; thus, I have decided to take action to uncover the immediate and remote causes of these incidents.”
He emphasised that regardless of the personalities involved, they must be brought to justice and tasked members of the Commission to do a thorough job to stop the callousness of destroying public property as their failure may give the enemies of the State the opportunity to continue their wanton destruction.
“I know it will be very challenging, and I can assure you there will be threats, but you must remain strong. God did not make a mistake by bringing you here at this time; I keep saying this is for a purpose, and history will not forget the responsibility you are taking on today.”
The governor handed out a 9-point terms of reference to the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to include,1)determining the underlying causes of the violence and identify the individuals or groups responsible for the attacks on some Local Government headquarters and the harm caused to citizens; 2).evaluating the extent of damage to property, infrastructure, and human lives, and estimate the financial losses incurred; 3). examining whether the violence was politically motivated; if so, identify the key players and their roles in instigating the violence and 4). assessing the effectiveness of the security agencies’ response to the violence and identify areas for improvement.
Others are to 5).investigate the actions of individuals and groups involved in the violence in light of the relevant laws, including the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act of 2015; 6).advise on adequate compensation and support for victims and their families, as well as measures to prevent further occurrences; 7). make recommendations on a long-term strategy to prevent similar incidents in the future, including recommendations for policy reforms, community engagement, and conflict resolution mechanisms; 8.).recommend appropriate sanctions for individuals, regardless of their status, and groups found culpable and 9).make other relevant recommendations based on its findings that the commission may consider appropriate.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry, Hon. Justice I. R. Minakiri commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for taking the steps to set up the Commission lamenting the decline of safety of human lives in Rivers State where some have made others lesser animals.
She assured that with divine help they are committed to doing a thorough job that will bring solutions to the challenges, adding that people will not be allowed to destroy the manifest blessings of God upon the State.
Members of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry include Hon. Justice I. R. Minakiri, as chairman, Barr. Felicia Nwoke, Prof. Blessing Didia, Sir Samuel Egbe, Venerable Alex Usifor, Barr. Uzor Ikenga, Counsel and Mrs. Inyingi Brown as Secretary.
