A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has issued a significant ruling concerning the demand made by the Rivers State Government and the state House of Assembly for Sir Celestine Omehia to reimburse over N696 million received as pension and other benefits from the state government until his de-recognition as a former governor.
The court firmly declared that, according to a careful interpretation of the Governor and Deputy Governor Pension and Fringe Benefits Law, Omehia has never held the position of governor of Rivers State. Consequently, he should not be entitled to pension benefits as outlined in the Pension Law of the Rivers State Government.
In the judgment delivered by Justice Daketima Kio, it was emphasized that Omehia cannot be made to bear the consequences of the defendants’ actions in the suit. The judge further asserted that Omehia never sought recognition from the state government or the state House of Assembly, thereby invalidating his claim to the funds erroneously paid to him. Justice Kio reiterated the Supreme Court’s verdict, which labeled Omehia as an imposter and emphasized that he should not enjoy the status of a former governor or benefit from the Governor and Deputy Governor Pension Law.
Additionally, Justice Kio ruled that each party involved in the case should bear their own legal costs.
Following the court’s decision, Success Gilbert, legal counsel for the state government and House of Assembly, expressed satisfaction with the ruling. However, he refrained from commenting on the aspect of the judgment regarding the repayment of funds by Omehia, deferring such discussions to the government.
Meanwhile, Omehia’s counsel, Seraki Orlu, opted not to comment on the judgment.
The backdrop of this legal dispute traces to the state House of Assembly’s decision, spearheaded by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, to de-recognize Omehia as a former governor before the 2023 general elections. This action came after Omehia fell out of favor with the former Governor, Nyesom Wike, due to his support for the presidential candidacy of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, during a prolonged disagreement between Wike and Atiku, who were on opposing political fronts during the elections.
