… As Anti, Pro-Fubara Lawmakers Hold Counter Sittings
SECURITY operatives yesterday (21 November 2023) took over the entrance to the Rivers State House of Assembly complex providing a cover for the 25 lawmakers opposed to the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, (and said to be loyal to a former governor of the state, Nyelsom Wike who is now a serving minister) to hold their sitting.
This is even as a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the state capital, issued an order directing the two factions in the Rivers State House of Assembly to maintain status quo ante bellum and suspend further deliberations until the matter before it is dispensed with.
It was gathered that the entire stretch of the popular Moscow Road leading to the facility was cordoned off with patrol vehicles including a police Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) stationed in strategic places on the road.
It was further gathered that human and vehicular movements were not allowed on the road throughout the sitting of the lawmakers.
The lawmakers led by their Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, were said to have successfully deliberated on two items including the suspension of the strike declared by the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN).
As part of their resolutions, the lawmakers asked the police to investigate the arson in the hallowed chamber and arrest and prosecute the arsonists.
It was gathered that immediately after the sitting, some senior police officers reportedly locked the entrance to the Assembly complex and deployed more operatives to man the area.
Another report claimed that the lawmakers loyal to Fubara held their sitting in an undisclosed location in Port Harcourt.
A statement signed by Ken Uchendu, an Assembly correspondent, said the lawmakers, led by the factional Speaker, Edison Ehie, passed a vote of confidence on Fubara as part of their resolutions.
They were said to have commended the governor for his developmental strides and security initiatives to keep Rivers State peaceful.
They stressed that only a man of great vision and peace could steer the ship of development for the benefit of the people of the state.
The lawmakers reportedly resolved to continuously give the governor the required support to accomplish his consolidation and continuity agenda for the benefit of the state.
They were said to have condemned the attack on Ehie’s residence and the burning of the hallowed chamber of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
While appealing to the governor to begin the rehabilitation of the chamber, the lawmakers called on the Inspector-General of police to investigate the arson and bring the culprits to book.
The development was said to have deepened the political crisis, which started in October with the impeachment notice sent to the governor by the Amaewhule-led lawmakers.
There were indications that all the moves to reconcile the gladiators in the crisis had failed especially as Ehie and the police disagreed on his claim that he escaped assassination.
Meanwhile, ruling on the motion filed in suit No: FHC/PH/CS/240/2023 by Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie wherein he prayed the court for an order stopping Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule and the other lawmakers from presiding over the activities of the legislative arm of the state government, Justice Phoebe Ayua ordered that none of the parties on record should do anything about the matter since all the parties are expected to respect the court.
The order reads in part: “That an order is made directing the Plaintiffs/Applicants to put the Respondents on Notice forthwith.
“That an order is however made directing that all parties on record respect the court and should not take any step concerning the subject matter, since the matter is already before this court – Sub judice – pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.”
The Notice was filed together with the main suit by Ehie, as the new Speaker of the state House of Assembly and the House of Assembly.
The Plaintiffs in the suit are Rivers State House of Assembly, as the First Plaintiff, and Rt. Hon. (Barr) Ehie Ogerenye Edison (Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly) as Second Plaintiff.
The Defendants are the factional Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Martins Chike Amaewhule, Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol (former Deputy Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly), the Inspector-General of Police, Director, Department of State Security Services, Rivers State, and Commissioner of Police, Rivers State.
In the suit, the factional Speaker Ehie and the House of Assembly are seeking, amongst others, a declaration that the former Speaker and his former deputy, having been removed and suspended from the House, are not entitled to participate, disturb, interfere with or obstruct the performance of the legislative proceedings of the House and the legislative duties of the new Speaker in accordance with the provisions of sections 90 to 104 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.
They also sought an order restraining the former two principal officers of the House from interfering or participating in the functions of the House of Assembly.
The court adjourned further hearing in the motion on notice till 27 November 2023.
It will be recalled that following some disagreement arising from the attempt by a factional leadership of the House to impeach the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, the Rivers State House of Assembly has been facing some leadership crisis leading to the removal of the former Speaker and the election of Edison as the new Speaker.
Eighteen-Eleven Media