The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, has handed a seven-day ultimatum to Governor Siminialayi Fubara, to re-present the 2024 budget to the House.
The faction of the state assembly loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, took the stand at its resumed sitting in a yet-to-be-disclosed location in Port Harcourt, on Monday.
A Court of Appeal in Abuja had, in a judgement last week, nullified the order of Rivers State High Court which stopped Amaewhule and 24 other legislators from parading themselves as lawmakers and sitting as legislators.
It also would be recalled that Fubara had presented an appropriation bill of about N800 billion for the 2024 Fiscal year to the House loyal to him, then led by Edison Ehie as Speaker, before his resignation to be appointed as Chief of Staff to the governor.
Ehie and others loyal to Fubara had deliberated on the bill, passed the budget, and was subsequently signed into law by the governor
But, President Bola Tinubu during an intervention into the crisis rocking the state and in an eight-point resolution, directed the governor to re-present the already passed 2024 budget of the state to the Amaewhule’s led assembly.
However, on Monday, Amaewhule, who presided over the plenary issued the ultimatum following a resolution of the House during Monday’s plenary.
This came following a motion by the House Committee Chairman, Dumped Mao, who is also the Deputy Speaker of the assembly.
Amaewhule had put the motion to vote, leading to the resolution agreed by the members present at the resumed sitting.
The lawmakers also resolved to communicate their decision to Governor Fubara through a letter.
Meanwhile, the Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo-led assembly loyal to Governor Fubara held a parallel sitting wherein a Commissioner nominee was screened and confirmed for possible swearing.
Few hours after, Governor Siminalayi Fubara has sworn in Barrister Emmanuel Frank-Fubara who was screened and confirmed as a commissioner by the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led assembly earlier on Monday.
The swearing ceremony was held at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House in Port Harcourt at about 5 pm.
Giving his charge after the oath-taking ceremony, Governor Fubara defended his recognition of the Oko-Jumbo-led assembly, insisting that it is the lawfully recognised legislative arm.
Governor Fubara, however, expressed his disappointment with the police for not doing enough to unravel the facts about the bomb explosion in Port Harcourt some weeks ago.
He claimed that the relevant authorities were silent because the suspects in the attack were not his supporters.
Court bars Rivers CJ, Clerk from accepting Amaewhule’s impeachment notice
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has issued an Exparte Order of Interim Injunction barring the Chief Judge of the State and the Clerk of the State House of Assembly from dealing with the Martins Amaewhule’s led State Assembly.
The order issued by Justice Jumbo Stephen also prevented the duo from dealing with Amaewhule and 26 others as members of the Assembly, and from acting on any resolutions, articles of impeachment, or communications from them.
The suit marked PHC/2177/CS/2024 was filed by the Attorney General of the State as the first plaintiff and the Governor of the State, Siminialayi Fubara, as the second plaintiff, against Martin Amaewhule and 26 others, as the first set of defendants, and Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, and others, CJ of the State and Clerk of the State House of Assembly and People’s Democratic Party, PDP, as second sets of defendants.
The court also ordered all parties to maintain the status quo ante litem as of July 5, 2024, until the motion for an interlocutory injunction is heard and determined.
That an Order of Interim Injunction is hereby made restraining the 31″ and 32nd Defendants from dealing or howsoever relating with the 1st-27th Defendants as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and from receiving, forwarding or howsoever acting on any resolutions, articles of impeachment or other Defendants pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction already filed herein.
“That the parties to this suit are hereby directed to maintain the status quo ante litem in this suit as of 5th July 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction already filed herein.
“An Order is hereby made for substituted service of the originating and other processes in this suit on the 1st-30th Defendants by pasting the same at Quarters, opposite former NDDC headquarters, off Aba Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.”
The court, however, adjourned till 15th of July 2024 for the motion on notice for Interlocutory injunction
Rivers Crisis: Fubara wins as Appeal Court strikes out suit by pro-Wike LG Chairmen
The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt has dismissed two appeals instituted by Local Government Chairmen loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The appeals, marked CA/PH/137M/2024 and CA/PH/145M/2024, were filed by Enyiada Cookey-Gam and six others.
They were challenging the decisions of the High Court regarding the elongation of their tenure.
The Court, while delivering its ruling on Monday, found the appeals to be without merit and consequently struck them out.
