Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State said on Thursday that the war against corruption should be fought within the confines of rule of law.
Wike made the call in Port Harcourt at the 2016 Annual General Meeting of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK, Nigeria.
He said that the rights of the people should not be abused while fighting corruption.
According to the governor, law enforcement agencies should not be given the latitude to abuse the fundamental human rights of Nigerians in the name of fighting corruption.
Wike said though he suppors the fight against corruption, it must be done within the confines of the rule of law.
He said: “We totally support our President’s fight against corruption.
“However, we are still a democracy and the rule of law is still supreme.
“We are on our way to anarchy if we encourage or allow law enforcement agencies the latitude to abuse the fundamental rights of our citizens under the guise of fighting corruption.”
The Governor urged the Federal Government to hold every public officer to the same standards of accountability.
The Chair of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK, Nigeria Branch, Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour, said the frontiers of alternative dispute resolution are expanding.
Rhodes-Vivour said arbitration was very relevant to the development of the country.
The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Adama Iyayi-Laminkara, said the judiciary took cognisance of the importance of arbitration in the adjudication process.
