Thirteen PDP Reps petition Saraki, protest Amaechi’s nomination

Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki

Thirteen Peoples Democratic Party members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State on Friday protested the nomination of Mr. Rotimi Amaechi for appointment as a minister by submitting a petition to the Office of the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.

Amaechi, the immediate past governor of the state, is among the 21 ministerial nominees President Muhammadu Buhari forwarded to the Senate last week.

The list was unveiled by Saraki on Tuesday this week.

The petition by the Rivers legislators is among the rising number of petitions against the former governor, a development that may cause a rowdy session in the days ahead as senators begin the screening of the nominees.

In the petition, the legislators called on the Senate to disqualify Amaechi on the grounds of having several corruption allegations against him.

The petition, dated October 6, alleged among others, that Amaechi unlawfully sold government property during his tenure as a governor and that he showed disrespect for the rule of law.

The petitioners are Betty Apiafi; Kingsley Chinda; Gogo Tamuno; Kenneth Chikere; Blessing Nsiegbe; Jacobson Nbina; Dumnamene Dekor; Awaji – Inombek Abiante; Uche Obi; Randolph Brown; Boniface Emerengwa; Jerome Eke; and Boma Goodhead.

The petition partly read, “We, the Rivers State Caucus of the House of Representatives, have read with concern and utter disappointment, the nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari of Mr. Rotimi Amaechi as Rivers’ ministerial nominee and we deem it necessary to place on record that we vehemently protest the said nomination of Mr. Amaechi.

“We believe that the war against corruption should be complete, total and nobody with a taint of corruption should be allowed to hold public office, not even on sympathy or compensatory grounds.

“This is the reason the country waited patiently for about four months for Mr. President to painstakingly and very meticulously choose persons that are without blemish.”

The lawmakers referred to the judicial commission of inquiry set up by the state government to investigate the sale of public property, noting that in spite of the allegations levelled against Amaechi, he did not appear before the panel to clear himself.

PUNCH