Step aside from your positions, clear your names – Wike to Amaechi, Onu

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday called on public office holders who have smeared their names with corruption to step aside from their positions and concentrate on proving their innocence.

This was as the governor accused the Federal Government of being bias in its ongoing anti-graft war.

Speaking at the 2016 annual conference of the chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Nigerian Branch, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Wike wondered why the government forced some public officers accused of corruption to step aside pending the conclusion of their cases while others similarly accused of corruption were allowed to continue with their jobs.

Wike also alleged that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-graft war has no regard for the rule of law.

He said, “We think the Federal Government must hold every public officer and everyone of us to the same standards of accountability.

“It smacks of double standard for the Federal Government to force some public officers accused of corruption to step aside pending the conclusion of their cases, while keeping other public officers similarly accused in their public posts simply because they happen to be top members of the ruling party. Such inequities strike at the very essence of our moral values and rubbish the demand for character and personal integrity in public service.

“By resigning from his public position on account of the allegations of bribery against him, Muiz Banire (SAN), a former legal adviser of the All Progressives Congress, has proven to be a man who loves his character more than anything else.

“Let all those public officers with the smear of corruption step aside honourably and concentrate on clearing their names. We totally support our President’s fight against corruption. However, we are on our way to anarchy if we encourage or allow law enforcement agencies the latitude to abuse the fundamental rights of our citizens under the guise of fighting corruption.”

This is coming at a time when a cross section of Nigerians are calling for the sack of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and his counterpart from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu over bribery allegation levelled against them by two Supreme Court justices, Sylvester Ngwuta as well as John Inyang Okoro.