The Better Bayelsa Initiative (BBI) has condemned Governor Henry Seriake Dickson for openly leading thugs in an act of brigandage to attack a Federal High Court judge in his courtroom, and called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to set up a high powered inquiry into the incident, and on the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to disbar him.
It further urged the NBA and other respected stakeholders in the judicial arm of the government to prevail on the Inspector-General of Police to make public the report gathered following his order on the Bayelsa Police Command to arrest the "thugs" used by the Bayelsa Governor during the judicial intimidation.
BBI, a Bayelsa State socio-political organization, made the remarks in a press statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Tarila Obiene, in which it expressed concern over recent developments in the State.
“The armed invasion of the Federal High Court and near mob killing of over Seventeen lawyers including a pregnant woman and two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) during the hearing into the suit between Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and Envagelist Foster Ogola over the choice of candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Bayelsa West Senatorial district of the State is a big show of shame,” it said.
The thugs, according to eyewitnesses, mobbed the Honourable Justice I. E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, the statement said, adding that the despicable act, which was captured on video and went viral on social media, clearly showed the governor actively involved in the actions.
“Elsewhere, such a man would have voluntarily resigned from his post, having been caught in the act,” BBI said, noting that Selekeowei Larry, the counsel to Senator Lokpobiri, confirmed to newsmen that the attack on the court was led by the governor, and was a "shameful act and a show intimidation against the judiciary".
BBI said it has observed, with disbelief, the disrespectful and intimidating posture and actions of Governor Dickson since he assumed office about three years ago.
“Unlike past Governors of the State, one would have thought that a man who as a Legal practitioner, has served as Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General in the State, a Federal Lawmaker, and served on the House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary, would have known the value and maintain the sanctity of the Judiciary.
“It is an irony that a man, who rode to his governorship on the crest of several Court judgements would turn round to desecrate the same judiciary. A case of biting the fingers that fed him!”
The group stressed that Governor Dickson has violently violated the sanctity of the judiciary and that it is now up to the NBA, the NJC and other relevant bodies to mete out appropriate sanctions to him as he is also a lawyer.
BBI further stated that when the governor is found to be culpable, he should be sanctioned and his "legal practitioner" status withdrawn.
“If this is not done, the confidence of the public in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man will be greatly eroded and a lasting damage may have been done to the image of the third estate of the realm.”