Spokesperson of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, Simeon Nwakaudu, has lambasted the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje over plans to drag his principal to court.
Nwakaudu said Wike was not a dollar bill which Ganduje can “pocket sheepishly and recklessly”.
Ganduje was reported to have threatened to institute a legal action
against Wike, following claims that he ordered the demolition of a
mosque in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The Rivers State governor, however, denied the allegation.
Reacting to Ganduje’s threat, Nwakaudu in an article wrote: “It beats
my imagination that Kano State Governor, Abdulahi Umar Ganduje is still
in the habit of making irresponsible comments about Rivers State. Up
till now, Ganduje is yet to realise that Governor Wike is not dollars
that he can pocket recklessly and sheepishly.
“I saw a statement released by Abdulahi Umar Ganduje. He said that he
will sue Governor Wike over the falsehood that a Mosque was demolished
in Port Harcourt. For the umpteenth time, no Mosque was demolished by
Governor Wike. No Mosque was demolished by the Rivers State Government.
“The story was a fabrication by one Alhaji Tobacco. The fabrication
was orchestrated by Daily Trust and The Nation Newspapers for obvious
mischievous political reasons. These baseless press releases confirm the
ugly plot.
“Several journalists and civil society groups have visited the
disputed land and no traces of any Mosque were found at the location.
Governor Wike personally led journalists to the disputed land and the
world saw that no Mosque existed there.
“On Saturday, the Rivers State Islamic Leader/Vice President General,
Rivers State Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Nasir Uhor stated that
there was no physical structure of a Mosque at the disputed land at
Rainbow Town in Port Harcourt. He said the insinuation that any
structure was at that location was not true. He also admitted that a
Rivers State High Court confirmed that the disputed land belongs to the
Rivers State Government.
“Suit Number PHC/986/2012 between Registered Trustees of Trans-Amadi
Mosque, Port Harcourt (Claimant) and the Commissioner, Ministry of Urban
Development and Physical Planning, Rivers State, the Governor of Rivers
State and the Attorney General of Rivers State (Defendants) was
resolved by Justice G.O. Omereji on Tuesday, 27th November, 2018. This
matter pre-dated Governor Wike.
“Justice Omereji of the Rivers State High Court held that: “The
defendants have in Exhibits J, J1 and J2 inclusive of Exhibit K, which
is the Certificate of Title, established that the land, the subject
matter of this suit, was acquired in 1959 by the Government.
“My humble opinion is that the claimants have not established that
they have better title to the land, the subject matter of this suit and
they have not established that at the material time they were in
possession and that the defendants do not have better title to the
land”.
“The Court further ruled that the claimants had no approval to build on the disputed land.
“The entire world is aware of the above facts. Nobody has circulated
any photographs or videos of the said Mosque that Ganduje and other APC
Chieftains are harping on. They merely want to use a non-existent Mosque
story to score ugly political points.
“Pray, what redress would Ganduje be seeking in court when he sues
Governor Wike? Would Ganduje tell the court to relegate the Rivers State
Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Planning and enthrone its
Kano State Counterpart? Would Ganduje be asking the Court to hand over
jurisdiction to Kano State High Court?
“Under the Land Use Act, the governor is responsible for allocation
of land in all urban areas to individuals’ resident in the state or to
organizations for residential, agricultural, commercial and other
purposes. Perhaps, Ganduje would be telling the Court to deny the Rivers
State Governor of such powers, while he retains same powers under the
Land Use Act in Kano State.
“The Press Statement attributed to Ganduje is a confirmation that
this country is at its lowest point. This is the worst form of
administrative ignorance.
“As a Governor with a bruised ego, Ganduje thinks that this religious
falsehood would afford him a backdoor entry into the national good
book. Sadly, he has exposed himself as a terribly ignorant leader who
basks in baseless claims.
“The disputed land is already before the court, as the Registered
Trustees of Trans-Amadi Mosque, Port Harcourt (Claimant) sued the Rivers
State Government in 2012. Having lost at the Court of First instance,
these trustees have appealed the judgment.
“GANDOLLARS MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN, On December 8, 2016, Abdulahi Umar
Ganduje, as Chairman of the Rivers State APC Election Rerun Campaign
Committee, threatened violence on Rivers people at the Yakubu Gowon
Stadium.
“Alongside several APC Governors, Ganduje Ganduje called on APC Thugs
to unleash mayhem on Rivers electorate for the purpose of rigging the
rerun elections. He claimed that the aim was to ensure that the APC took
control of the House of Assembly for the purpose of impeaching Governor
Wike.
“The APC Federal Government deployed 57,000 security personnel,
billions of naira, millions of dollars, Jet Fighters and Gunboats for
the rerun elections. Rivers people stood with Governor Wike and the APC
was roundly defeated. Rivers people rejected the plot to pocket Governor
Wike by the APC rigging machine.
“GOVERNOR WIKE IS NOT DOLLARS. Abdulahi Umar Ganduje, a man who
enjoys bribery and falsehood, must realise that Governor Nyesom Ezenwo
Wike is not dollars that he pockets with ridiculous abandon. Governor
Wike is a lover of the rule of law, due process, religious tolerance and
peaceful co-existence. He cannot be intimidated by the illiterate
threat of lawsuit from a man of low moral standing.
“Gandollars, sorry, Ganduje is still talking because he thinks that
Nigerians have forgotten about his crime against his people.”