Amaechi, who came with few of his aides, appeared before the commission based on his petition in which he complained against the activities of the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu. In his petition dated October 4, the governor had complained about abuse of human rights in the state and urged the commission to investigate his complaints.
The petition reads in part, "There are on-going human rights violations in Rivers state falling within the investigative and other duties of the National Human Rights Commission. "Abuses which need the independent and human rights competences and capabilities of the National Human Rights Commission as ably demonstrated in your ground breaking engagement of the Baga incident and the situation in North East Nigeria, which interim report bears many striking resemblance to the situation in Rivers state," "The Nigeria Police force, Rivers state command under its present Commissioner has become inaccessible and actively antagonistic to my person and office as the Chief Security Officer of the state. "Court orders are being obeyed in the breach by the leadership of the police in Rivers state.
While security communications or directives from the state government are treated with even greater contempt as they are no longer even acknowledged". Amaechi said in the petition that the police officer had compromised his position and professional ethics in the discharge of his duties in the state. Amaechi, who was welcomed by the Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof. Gem Angwe, said the way the commission handled his petition would determine if Nigerians would have faith in it. He spoke before the commission went into a closed door session, where questions were asked based on his petition.
He was also said to have been asked to provide evidence on all the allegations he made in the petition. Before going into closed door session with officials of the commission led by Angwe, Amaechi expressed surprise at a newspaper publication (not PUNCH), which stated that he had been indicted by the commission even when he had not appeared before it.
He expressed hope that he and the people of the state would get justice in spite of the publication. The governor said, "I hope we would get justice from this commission. Some said the outcome had been predetermined because of publications like this(showing the newspaper publication). "This publication said I have been indicted even when I have not even appeared before the commission and the commission has yet to start interrogating us.
"The process of investigation should be transparent and if at the end of the day there is not justice, people might lose hope in the commission. I'm happy for the invitation to be here and I am ready to appear as as many times as you want and also tender many evidence to support our claim." The governor said activities in the state had shown that the state was already becoming a police state and appealed to Nigerians to note what was happening there. In his remarks, Angwe said it was not true that the commission had indicted the governor and urged him to ignore any rumour or publication contrary to his assertion.
"We have not indicted the governor or any other person for that matter concerning the petition before us. Anyone saying anything contrary to this should be ignored," added. Angwe said he was happy that the governor decided to write the petition instead of using uncivilized means to settle the matter. He said the petition was the first coming from a state government against the state in the history of Nigeria and urged other organizations and Nigerians to emulate "this civilized means of settling dispute."
On how the commission would handle the petition, he said oral evidence would be taken from all the parties before officials of the commission would visit the state, adding that at the end of this, a preliminary report would be written. He said it was after this that the commission would decide whether there was the need to hold public hearing on the matter or not.
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