As part of its resolution, Rivers State House of Assembly has asked Celestine Omehia to refund about N600m benefits he received from the State as a former governor.
All 21 members, who voted for the derecogntion of Omehia as a former governor, also ordered him to return about N97m he had so far received as pension to the treasury of the State.
The motion was presented at the plenary by a member representing Obio-Akpor Constituency 1, Amaewhule Martin Chike.
The document dated October 6, 2022 was titled: “motion to rescind the Rivers State House of Assembly resolution on the recognition of Sir Celestine Omehia as a former Governor of Rivers State and the restoration of all Benefits and Entitlement due to him”.
Chike recalled that on June 30, 2015, a motion was moved, seconded, and debated upon and a resolution was passed in favour of the recognition of Omehia as a former Governor and for the restoration of all privileges and entitlements accruing to former Governors.
He further remembered that in line with the resolution, the State Government vide an instrument published in the official gazette of the Rivers State of Nigeria No. 5, volume 52 of March 2016 under the hand of Governor Nyesom Wike recognised Omehia as a former Governor and restored all his privileges and entitlements.
The lawmaker said Omehia later received a lot in financial benefits and entitlements from the government including N600m benefits and N96.5m monthly pension as of September 2022.
He, however, recalled that the Supreme Court in the case of Amaechi v INEC had declared Amaechi as the valid governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2007 general election and referred to Omehia as a pretender to the office.
