A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has invalidated the passage of the 2024 Rivers State appropriation bill by the four-member Assembly led by Hon.Edison Ehie.
The trial court also upheld the suit filed by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, against Governor Siminalaye Fubara, which sought an order of injunction restraining the governor from frustrating the Assembly under his leadership as Speaker, among others.
The court also held that the withholding of the state House of Assembly funds by the governor is unconstitutional and further retrained Sir Fubara from frustrating the activities of the House of Assembly under Mr Amaewhule.
Justice James Omotosho held that the redeployment of the Clerk and Deputy Clerk by the governor was null and void and ordered the Inspector-General of Police to give protection to Martin Amaewhule.
Recall that the governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, in December, presented an N800 billion Appropriation Bill for the 2024 fiscal year to the four-member assembly.
Edison Ehie is a former House Leader who was removed from office for refusing to support an attempt to impeach Governor Fubara by some of his colleagues. He later emerged as Speaker of the Assembly and subsequently declared the seats of 27 other Lawmakers loyal to the former governor of the state now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, vacant. Edison Ehie was to later resign from the Assembly and his seat as a lawmaker.
The Rivers Assembly comprises 31 members.
The other 27 members had earlier defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
Eighteen-Eleven Media