In spite of the demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, the lawmakers loyal to former governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) led by Martin Amaewhule, yesterday, dared Governor Siminalayi Fubara as they held their legislative sitting in the auditorium of the Assembly Quarters at Aba Road, Port Harcourt.
At a brief sitting, the parliamentarians, whose seats were declared vacant by the factional speaker, Edison Ehie, on Wednesday, passed the Rivers State House of Assembly Funds Management (Financial Autonomy) Bill, 2023 after debating on the report of the House Committee on Public Accounts on the Bill.
While commenting on the report presented by the Chairman of the Committee, Major Jack, Amaewhule, said the Bill would provide for the management of funds accruing to the House of Assembly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the state.
He added that the law would ensure accountability and efficient utilisation of funds.
The lawmakers also passed the Rivers State Local Government Law, No. 5 of 2018 (Amendment) Bill, 2023 after a robust debate on the report of the House Committee on Local Government which was presented by its chairman, Ignatius Onwuka.
The speaker stated that the House decided to delete some sections of the law and amended other sections because they were “anachronistic and an anathema to democratic principles.”
Amaewhule said with the passage of the amendment bill, elected local government council chairmen and councillors would be liberated from arbitrary removals and suspensions.
The embattled lawmakers, in a motion, adopted and converted the Auditorium of the House of Assembly Quarters as its hallowed Chamber even as they condemned what they described as “heartless and brazen demolition” of the House of Assembly complex by Governor Fubara, without the approval and knowledge of the House.
In a motion sponsored by 26 members and moved by Ofiks Kabang, member, representing Andoni Constituency, the sitting drew the attention of the Federal Government, the Inspector-General of Police and the International community, to the alleged constant attack by Governor Fubara on the legislature of Rivers State.
Addressing the prayers of the motion, Amaewhule said the House would write to the United Nations and governments of other well known democracies on the actions of the governor against the legislature; stressing that no amount of harassment, intimidation and mindless attacks against the legislature would make them shy away from their constitutional duties.
Attorney-general resigns
Amid the crisis, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zaccheaus Adangor, has resigned from the state executive council.
In his resignation letter dated November 14, and addressed to the Rivers State Governor, Fubara, through the Secretary to State Government, he emphasised that his resignation was based on personal principles.
He thanked the governor for giving him the opportunity to serve in his government as a member of the state Executive Council.
Prof. Adangor, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, expressed his indebtedness in gratitude to Fubara and wished the governor successful governance.
His resignation letter partly read: “For the avoidance of doubt, my resignation from the said office is based purely on personal principles.
“I want to thank Your Excellency for the opportunity and privilege granted me to serve in your administration as a member of the Cabinet. My family and I are indebted to Your Excellency in gratitude.
“I wish Your Excellency a successful tenure. Please, accept the assurances of my highest regards always.”
Fubara signs Rivers N800bn 2024 budget into law
Meanwhile, Governor Fubara has signed the state N800 billion 2024 budget into law, barely 24 hours after it was presented to a four-man State House of Assembly for approval.
Speaking at the ceremony at the Government House, Fubara said the budget would provide the framework for his administration to undertake notable road projects that would connect communities across the state.
“This budget shows that we have a plan for our dear state. One of the reasons why our budget is in the volume of N800 billion is that we intend not just by desire, to ensure that one key request of our dear state is met.
“God being our helper, we will commence immediately, by next year, flagging off the actual and main Trans-Kalabari road project phase 2. We have also in our budget provided to take care of the Elele-Omoku Road project that cuts through Ikwerre, Emohua and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
“We are also taking that project as one of our cardinal achievements of this administration, we are not going back on it,” he said.
The governor assured that no effort would be spared in executing all the projects in the 2024 budget.
He said that the budget would make a positive impact on the lives of the people of the state.
“I want to assure you that this administration has the best interest of our people. It is an administration that wants everyone to have hope. We have keyed into the Renewed Hope Agenda of our dear President Bola Tinubu to continue to assure our people of hope, so the best of us will be seen by everyone.
“We will continue to protect the interest of our people, do the best for everyone, not minding your position or class. Our government is a responsive and inclusive government. Our eyes and ears are open to the needs of our people. We will not disappoint you,” Fubara said.
Chief Adolphus Orubienimigha, the leader of the four-man State House of Assembly, while presenting the budget for ascent, said that the lawmakers gave due diligence before passing the budget.
Also the factional speaker loyal to the governor, Mr Ehie, said the budget was in line with developmental goals of the government.
Fubara had on Wednesday presented the N800 billion 2024 budget to a four-man State House of Assembly at the Government House, Port Harcourt for approval.
APC considering impeachment proceedings
The state chapter of the APC Caretaker Committee has pleaded with the national leadership of the party, the National Working Committee (NWC), to join it in defending its assembly members against the maltreatment meted on them by the state government.
Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Tony Okocha, at a press conference at the national headquarters in Abuja, said the party was considering the option of initiating impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara over a number of constitutional infringements. “Although I am not a member of the state House of Assembly, but impeachment is a democratic process. Impeachment is not a coup d’etat.”
Okocha said the party would do everything possible to protect the 27 PDP lawmakers who defected to the APC.
“So, we are telling the governor that he cannot thrive on illegality, we will petition the judge before the National Judicial Council (NJC)for giving that jankara order against our members. So, we want to appeal to our party to join us to defend our members who are being ill treated by the Rivers House of Assembly.”
On the demolition of the state House of Assembly complex, Okocha said the APC would not allow illegality to thrive in the state. He added that the defected lawmakers would continue to meet else where, so long as they had the mace, which was the symbol of authority with them.
“You cannot place something on nothing and you expect it to stand. Illegality is illegal.
“Let me also let you know that what makes an assembly is not the structure, but the human beings in that assembly.
“So, an assembly can be moved to anywhere, provided the mace which is its symbol of authority is there. As at yesterday, about 27 members sat and took far-reaching decisions on state matters,” he said.
He said the APC had the majority members at the House of Assembly, having 27 out of its 32 members.
This, he said, was in line with the mandate given the party National Secretariat, to reach out to members of opposition parties in the state.
“We will fight illegality, we will not allow illegality to fester in our state. It is our duty now to defend our 27 members who are members of the State Assembly.
He also appealed to Chief Wike to come to the assistance of the party in the state.
“I have wooed him personally, we have told him publicly to come over and help us. He is a political juggernaut not just in Rivers, but in Nigeria at large.
“He is a force, and that is why we won the presidential election after losing the three senatorial seats and all the State House of Assembly members,” he said.
Forum urges Tinubu to intervene
The All Progressives Congress State Assembly Forum (ASAF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and return peace among the warring faction of the House of Assembly.
Expressing deep concerns over the development in the state, ASAF called on president Tinubu to call the principal actors in the crisis to order and return peace in the state
ASAF is the forum of all the elected and serving members of the state Houses of Assembly, elected under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the country
The forum in a statement at the end of its end of year Consultative engagement meeting held in Kaduna State, noted that president Tinubu needed an absolute peace in Rivers State to actualize his Renewed Hope agenda, adding that the president has in no small appreciated his acceptance by the people of Rivers State who voted for him during the last presidential election
Its Director General, Ambassador Fubara Dagogo, emphasized that the Rivers state assembly crisis must not be allowed to fester, warning that such ugly development may degenerate into a state of anarchy which could extend to others states of the federal, and as well, deal a heavy blow to the nation’s democracy, if not immediately checked
Dagogo noted further that Rivers state is very important in the calculations of the All Progressives Congress ahead of further electoral victories, even as he emphasized that a divided and crisis ridden Rivers would not be of any advantage to the fortunes of the APC
“This is the time for the president to intervene and call all the actors in the crisis in Rivers state to order. The people of Rivers accepted president Tinubu and voted massively for him during the last election. I strongly believe that president Tinubu who has also appreciated the gesture should not allow Rivers to go in flames just because of selfish interest of the gladiators
“Please Mr president, the people of Rivers state need your fatherly intervention at this moment that people are gradually feeling the positive impact of your renewed hope message. Don’t allow Rivers to boil the way it’s going because it is a very important state in the actualization of the delivery of your campaign promise,” he said.
Credit: Daily Sun