…Declare Oko-Jumbo, Others’ Seats Vacant
By MAUREEN DICK
THE factional Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule has given Governor Siminalayi Fubara another opportunity to present the 2024 Appropriation Bill.
The House agreed to give Fubara another opportunity to present the bill following the nullification by the Court of Appeal of the N800 billion Appropriation Bill, which the governor had presented to a parallel House led by Edison Ehie at the peak of the Assembly crisis.
Also, in compliance with the combined provisions in Section 109 (1) (e) (f) and Section 109 (2) of the 1999 Constitution as altered, the Assembly on Tuesday, at its 56th legislative sitting of the Second Session, declared the seats of Edison Ogerenye Ehie, Victor Oko Jombo, Adolphus Timothy Oruibienimigha and Sokari Goodboy Sokari, representing Ahoada East II, Bonny, Opobo/Nkoro and Ahoada West Constituencies respectively.
The pro-Wike faction in declaring the seats of Edison Ehie, who is now the Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and three other pro-Fubara lawmakers vacant, said it followed their absence from sittings for 152 days.
Making this known during plenary on Tuesday, Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, pointed out that Ehie did not properly write to inform the House of his new office, and as such his seat has been declared vacant.
Regarding Victor Oko-Jumbo, who is the speaker of pro-Fubara faction and two others, the House held three separate votes to declare their seats vacant for absenteeism from sitting for 152 days consecutively without notification or permission, in violation of the 1999 constitution.
Debating the motion, members spoke in unison in support of the motion, and sympathized with the constituents of those constituencies whose voices have been drowned in the House for about a year because of the abdication of legislative duties by their representatives.
Commenting on the motion, the Speaker, Amaewhule, recalled that after the peace parley that was held at the instance of President Bola Tinubu, the House withdrew its impeachment notice on the governor and also recalled the four suspended members, yet they have obstinately refused to attend sittings of the House.
The Assembly further agreed to write to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections to replace the now vacant seats within 90 days to provide representation for their people.
The factional Speaker, Amaewhule, reiterated that giving the fact the Court of Appeal upheld all the injunctive orders given by the Federal High Court, Governor Siminalayi Fubara is again enjoined to present the 2024 Appropriate Bill to the House.
Earlier, the Leader of the House, Major Jack, had informed the House that he was in receipt of the judgement of the Court of Appeal which upheld the judgement of Justice Omotosho of the Federal High Court, which recognized the authenticity of the Rivers State House of Assembly under the Speakership of Martin Amaewhule, which was appealed against by Governor Fubara.
The Leader laid the document on the table and was received and adopted by the House as a working document.