The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has formally declined a request from the State House of Assembly to constitute a panel to investigate Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.
In a letter to the Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, Justice Amadi cited two interim injunctions from the State High Court. These orders, secured by the governor and deputy governor, restrain him from receiving or acting on any request from the Assembly regarding an impeachment investigation panel.
The Assembly had invoked constitutional procedures on January 16, requesting the panel over allegations of gross misconduct.
Justice Amadi confirmed he received both the Assembly’s request and the court orders.
He stated that the legal principle of lis pendens requires all parties to await the outcome of ongoing appeals filed by the lawmakers against the injunctions. He emphasized that compliance with subsisting court orders is paramount.
“My hand is fettered,” the Chief Judge wrote, noting he is “legally disabled at this point” from performing his constitutional duty under Section 188(5) until the legal process is concluded.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
