The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the appeal filed by a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, against the decision by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to set up a commission of inquiry to probe some transactions during his tenure as the state’s governor.
The apex court in its judgment by a five-member panel led by Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, while dismissing the appeal, held that the assignment of the commission of inquiry was not to investigate Amaechi in person, and as such, it was not about his person.
In the lead judgment prepared by Justice Emmanuel Agim, but read by Justice Adamu Jauro, the court said that the gist of this decision is to the effect that the commission of inquiry was to investigate some transactions, hence no one was on trial, hence the issue of denial of fair hearing, therefore, does not arise.
The judgment awarded an N1million as cost against the appellant.
Amaechi, while reacting to the judgment, said the pronouncement further vindicated his stance that the investigation by the commission ought not to be portrayed as personal to him because he was not on trial.
