*Refuses To Order Him To Refund N696m Pension, Other Benefits 

A RIVERS State High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, has ruled that Celestine Omehia is not a former governor of the state and as such not entitled to the pensions meant for former governors and their deputies.

Recall that a former governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, had in 2023, withdrawn the recognition accorded Omehia as a former governor, and demanded that he refunds all pensions and benefits earlier paid to him on account of that.

Omehia succeeded Dr. Peter Odili as governor and sworn in on May 29, 2007. But his tenure was cut short when Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi challenge the primaries that threw him up.

After a long legal battle, the Supreme Court ruled that Amaechi was the validly elected candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

During Wike’s tenure, the House of Assembly enacted a law recognising Omehia as governor, but the governor withdrew the recognition accorded Omehia in 2013 and demanded that he refund all pensions earned.

Omehia approached the court, demanding that he be recognised as a former governor.

    The court held that Omehia, from proper interpretation of the Governor and Deputy Governor Pension and Fringe Benefits Law, has never been a former governor of Rivers State and should not benefit from the pension, as stated under the said law.

    Justice Kio, in his judgment in a suit filed by Omehia against the Rivers State Governor, Attorney General of the state, Speaker and House of Assembly, however, ruled that Omehia cannot be made to suffer the wrong of the defendants in the suit.

   Justice Kio ruled that from every fact, Omehia never applied to be recognised by the state government and state House of Assembly; hence cannot legitimately demand the money paid wrongly to the claimant, since the demand came in a way of counter-claim or cross-action in an originating summon.

Justice Kio insisted that the judgment of the Supreme Court, which described Omehia as an imposter and pretender, stood, and that Omehia should not prefer the status of a former governor and should not benefit from the Governor and Deputy Governor Pension Law.

He also held that the parties should bear their cost themselves.

Senior State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice, Gilbert Success, expressed satisfaction with the ruling. He, however, declined to disclose whether or not the state government would be taking any further actions.

He said: “Today, the court, in its wisdom, held that in the eyes of the law, affirming the decision of the celebrated case of Rotimi Amaechi versus INEC, that Celestine Omehia was never a former governor and should not be accorded that status.

“And, therefore, he is not entitled to benefit from the Rivers State Former Governors and Former Deputy Governors Pensions Law and Fringe benefits, because he is not entitled, and therefore, he should not be recognised.”

On the court declining to order Omehia to refund the monies paid to him before his recognition was withdrawn, Success said: “I will not want to comment on that, considering my position as a civil servant. I’m a government lawyer, so I wouldn’t want to comment on that.

“The matter is quite a sensitive one and it will be left for the government to decide whichever way. But I keep my opinion to myself.”

Counsel for Omehia, Seriki Orlu, declined comment on the judgment.