Speaking on the report of the committee and the judgement orders of the Federal High Court, Abuja, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule, expressed his disappointment that under the watch of Governor Siminialayi Fubara, Rivers State is assuming the garb of a Banana Republic, emphasising that Rivers State has never been brought so low.
By Kevin Pepple
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The embattled faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Hon. Martins Amaewhule has called on the State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, to obey a Federal High order barring Saturday Local Government elections.
The Assembly accused the state government of becoming notorious for not obeying Court Orders and judgements.
The factional State House of Assembly made the call on Thursday, at its 55th Legislative Sitting of the Second Session, as it decried the recalcitrant posture of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) in obeying the recent judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that ordered the stoppage of the conduct of the planned Local Government Elections in the State, until all relevant provisions of laws relating to the conduct of the local government elections are complied with.
The Amaewhule-led Assembly condemned RSIEC’s brazen disregard for the Federal High Court orders when the Chairman of the House Committee on Commissions and Agencies, Hon. Barile Nwakor, presented a report on the proposed local government elections in the state.
The Committee in its Report stated that, in the performance of its oversight function as directed by Mr. Speaker, with the leave of the House, discovered that the State Electoral body is estopped by a Federal High Court order, restraining the body from conducting the planned elections on Saturday, 5th October, 2024.
The Committee maintained that its findings further revealed that the Federal High Court order also restrained both the Nigerian Police and the Department of State Services, DSS, from providing security for the elections, adding that the court was firm in its order that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, must not release the updated Voters’ Register to RSIEC until it complied with the Sections 13 and 20 of the Law establishing the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.
Responding to the findings of the Committee, some lawmakers regretted that it appears the lawlessness of governor Fubara was becoming contagious, wondering why a body such as RSIEC, which is a creation of Law made by the Rivers State House of Assembly would want to disobey an order of a Federal High Court. They said more worrisome is the fact that the State electoral body is headed by a retired Judge of the State High Court, who ought to know better, and wondered why integrity is being jettisoned into the nadir; adding that as representatives of the people they would not stand akimbo and watch while the state degenerates into lawlessness.
Speaking on the report of the committee and the judgement orders of the Federal High Court, Abuja, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule, expressed his disappointment that under the watch of Governor Siminialayi Fubara, Rivers State is assuming the garb of a Banana Republic, emphasising that Rivers State has never been brought so low.
The Speaker berated the conduct of Governor Fubara who went to the RSIEC headquarters to command them to go ahead and conduct the Local Government Elections in breach of its own law and in defiance of a subsisting Federal High Court order barring them from proceeding with the elections. He added that disobedience to court orders has been the characteristic panache of Governor Fubara, which has made Rivers State a laughing stock in the Committee of States in Nigeria.
Speaking further, Rt. Hon. Amaewhule stated in clear terms that while the State House of Assembly is in support of the conduct of the Local Government Elections in the State, he emphasized that the process must follow provisions of the enabling law and other extant laws.
When the Speaker put the question, the House voted in the affirmative and resolved to write to the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission to suspend the conduct of the proposed election on Saturday, 5th October, 2024 in line with the Federal High Court orders; as holding the election will not only potray the State in bad light as a lawless State but may expose the voters to avoidable risk.
Earlier, the Leader of the House, Hon. Major Jack had under statement by the Leader, informed the House that he was in receipt of the Judgement of the Federal High Court, ordering the suspension of the proposed election, which was laid on the table and received by the House.
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