Following the visit of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to the official residential quarters of the Rivers State Assembly in Port Harcourt on Thursday, the factional speaker of the state Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, has accused the Governor of planning to demolish the edifice.
Amaewhule, who frowned at the Governor’s unscheduled visit to the assembly residential quarters, said the Governor ought to pre-inform the lawmakers before embarking on such a visit to the residential quarters.
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He also alleged that the Governor had concluded modalities to demolish the quarters built by his predecessor, Chief Nyesom Wike, judged the best across the country.
The factional speaker, who said the action of the Governor is an assault to the tenets of democracy, added that it indicated that the Governor had resorted to violence and self help.
Amaewhule said: “We do not know why the Governor has resorted to self-help and he has shown that he is a violent man.
“Today the Governor came in person to our residence with his tugs and some of them scaled the fence while he broke our gate to gain access. Ordinarily the Governor needs to write me the Speaker before he can visit our hallowed Chambers. Or at least inform us, if he has any reason to get here.
“Coming here and seeking to demolish our property which is built by taxpayers money is unbecoming of a Governor in our time,” he said.
Amaewhule further emphasised that he remained the authentic speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, duly elected by members of the house, adding that Governor Fubara was trying to usurp his authority through the back door.
He stressed that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria empowers only him as the speaker of the state assembly to declare the seat of any lawmaker vacant.
“The only person by constitution to declare the seat of any member vacant is me, and I am the Speaker duly elected by all the members who voted me the day the Assembly was proclaimed, and I have continued to do my job.
“It is shameful that the Governor is resorting to desperate measures to use an appointee to perform our function.”