Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi
BEVERLY HILLS, October 19, (THEWILL) – The Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, and the Managing Director of Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, have dismissed claim by a Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice John Okoro, that they attempted to bribe him, stating that they never held any meeting with Justice Okoro for the purpose of compromising him to.
The Department of State Services, DSS, had about a fortnight ago carried out a nationwide raid on the homes of judges it claimed were corrupt. Justice Okoro was among the judges who were arrested after the invasion.
Afterwards, the Justice of the Supreme Court wrote to the Chief Justice of the Federation, CJN, where he alleged that Amaechi and Umana, who was APC’s 2015 governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, tried to induce him with cash to respectively influence the Court of Appeal ruling in the Akwa Ibom election and the Supreme Court ruling regarding the same governorship election.
But reacting to Justice Okoro’s claim that he had attempted to manipulate the ruling of the judiciary regarding elections that were conducted in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Abia states, the Transport minister stated that he discussed any matter pending before the Supreme Court of Nigeria with the judge, wondering how a minister can make the DSS could arrest an apex court judge.
The statement, which dismissed Okoro’s allegation as false and unfounded reads in part, “let me say clearly that I have never discussed any matter pending before the Supreme Court of Nigeria with my Lord, Honourable Justice Inyang Okoro JSC, in his house or anywhere else, Period. I make bold to also state that the first and only time I have ever spoken with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Honourable Justice Mahmud Mohammed GCON was at the Commissioning of the Abuja-Kaduna Railway Project on the 26th of July 2016 at Idu in Abuja.
“The letter by Honourable Justice Okoro is a poor attempt to politicize what is clearly a serious National tragedy and shame. I believe that the issues of corruption at the highest levels of our judiciary should be addressed objectively. It is to say the least demeaning and childish of a Justice of the Supreme Court to imply that the security operatives of our nation will arrest a Justice of our Supreme Court for no reason other than the instructions of a Minister. Those faced with serious allegations should treat the issue with the seriousness it deserves and stop trying to court public sympathy and trivialize what is clearly a national tragedy.
“I have directed my lawyers to contact my Lord Justice Okoro and take whatever legal steps as may be necessary to clear my name of this baseless allegation.
“Finally, let me advise His Lordship Justice Inyang Okoro to be objective in dealing with the issue at hand and not whip up unnecessary sentiments against innocent public officers. I remain focused on my assignment at the Federal Ministry of Transportation and I have no control over Department of State Services”.
On his part, Umana, in a statement by his Media Adviser, Mr. Iboro Otongaran, stated that the judge concocted the lies to save himself the embarrassment of been arrested with inexplicable huge cash in local and foreign currencies.
The statement reads, “The attention of Mr Umana Okon Umana, Akwa Ibom APC governorship candidate in the 2015 election has been drawn to a letter purportedly written by Justice Inyang Okoro and addressed to the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria.
“In the said letter, Justice Okoro alleged without evidence that Umana visited his residence (Justice Okoro’s) and made a “request to help him win his appeal before the Supreme Court.”
