The Centre for Law and Civil Culture (CLCC) has accused the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike of engaging in executive recklessness by personally supervising the demolition of private hotels of innocent citizens who were alleged to have violated the lockdown order in the state.
CLCC said the governor by that action desecrated his office as governor.
The group in a statement jointly issued by its Executive Secretary and Publicity Secretary, Abdul Ganeey Imran and Deborah Okpanachi respectively, said the action of Governor Wike could be likened to the attitude of the hooligans who usually takes law into their hands and could at will, set ablaze armed robbery suspects without giving them room to be heard, a case that at best, could be likened to extra judicial killings.
“The attention of CLCC has been drawn to the unfortunate and pathetic video circulating on social media and which has also been reported on some electronic and printing media, depicting how the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike desecrated the prestigious office of the governor, when he personally took law into his hand by supervising, monitoring, directing and ensuring the demolition of private hotels of innocent citizens of Rivers state, who were alleged to have violated the lockdown order/directives in Rivers state.
“This untoward action as depicted in the viral video is nothing but an ‘act of executive recklessness’. The CLCC therefore, condemn this in very strong terms and advice the governor to desist from any further act of lawlessness. It is a jungle justice, which is unknown to our law,” the statement reads.
According to the group, the governor’s action clearly shows that he could lynch a suspect without fair hearing. “The point we are making here is that a governor cannot kill a citizen simply because he witnessed how that citizen killed his fellow citizens.
The proper approach would have been for the governor to insist on the rule of law to be followed.
“The twin pillar of natural justice has always been audi alteram partem and nemo judex in causa sua – that is, you must hear the other party and you cannot be a judge in your own cause. Thus, governor Nyesom Wike has violated and contravened this twin pillars of justice,” the group stressed.
Guardian
