Dismissed DSS officer, Pastor, Struggle at Rivers Tribunal, Contradict Statements with Improbable Stories

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Saturday, October 3rd, 2015

BALTIMORE, MD (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Emmanuel Philips, a former officer of the Department of State Security, DSS who was apparently discharged from service came to the Rivers State Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja today, claiming he provided security in 10 local governments which included Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpo, Emohua, Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru, Abua/Odual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Ogu-Bolo and Eleme Local Government Areas on April 11.

Philips who was a Second Respondent Defence Witness came with very unlikely tales about how he supervised the men and officers who patrolled nearly a dozen local governments in Rivers State in less than 24 hours. He however compounded his dubious stories with his claim that he covered all these far-flung villages and towns with just a Hilux vehicle, and not even a helicopter in only one day.

However what Mr. Phillips didn’t tell the court was that he was not in charge of the elections on April 11. Abok Nyam was the Direcor of State Security Service on election day. He is senior in rank to Mr Philips and was the person who deployed men on election day. Mr Philips reported to Mr Nyam on election day and did not step out alone. On the only occasion that Mr Philip went out, it was in company of Mr Nyam and they both toured aroun Port Harcourt city.

The Phillips who was dismissed by forcefully retired by the DSS along with 13 other officers earlier this year, did not have any item to identify himself as a former staff of the DSS and who was shocked with the story of his dismissal by Chief Akin Olujimi, lead counsel to the petitioner struggled to make sense with his many lies.

Under cross examination, Philips recanted when he was shown documents of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC which clearly revealed the damage violence and multiple voting did in the areas he allegedly covered.

Similarly, Pastor Charles Robert of Gospel Truth Liberty came with the same burden of fraudulence to the Witness Box where he was again reminded of how he was dismissed from his former church, Greater Evangelism Church for dishonesty. Robert who said he was accredited with the card reader, surprisingly told the tribunal that he cannot say the same of any other person because he did not pay attention to the accreditation of other voters.

Another pathetic witness was Samson Joseph from Abua/Odual Local Government Area of the state. He claimed to have voted at Unit 2, Ward 7 but he refused to identify his passport, claiming like others before him, that he cannot read the document because he was not the author. But to his surprise, INEC’s report showed no ballot paper was issued throughout his ward. In addition, 508 people allegedly voted when the voters register had only 501.

However, one witness that provided ample comedy today was Jackmay Emmanuel. He had narrated the usual storyline of how voting took place and how results were announced. He nonetheless developed cold feet when he was asked to recall the figures he heard at the when results were announced. And when he was asked to identify his photograph in Exhibit 226/5, he said he declined and insisted that he cannot read because it was black and white.

Other witnesses were Doku Gim-Mclean of Unit 4, Ward 13, Ogbo, Ahoada East Local Government Area and Isaac Banigo of Ward 7, Unit 5 Bonny. For obvious reasons, the witnesses were consistent in refusing to read all the INEC exhibits which contradicted their evidence.