…Insists, Ehie legally declared 25 seats vacant
The Speaker of the faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly, loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, has dismissed a purported resolution passed by the Martin Amaewhule led faction of the House in which the legislators said they have barred the Governor and the State Government from withdrawing money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State.
This was as he called on members of the public to disregard and ignore those he described as “misguided former members,” and also discountenance their illegal actions.
Speaker Oko-Jumbo particularly called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to expedite preparations towards the conduct of a bye-election to fill the vacant seats created in the Rivers State House of Assembly following the defection of Martin Amaewhule and 24 others.
Speaker Oko-Jumbo, who dismissed the Amaewhule-led House position at the plenary on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in Port Harcourt, wondered the basis of the audacity of Amaewhule and his cohorts when their seats had already been declared vacant on December 13, 2023, after which Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie was duly recognised Speaker of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly.
Oko-Jumbo said; “The House states as follows: On the 11th Day of December, 2023, at the 87th Legislative sitting of the House, former Speaker, Martin Amaewhule and the 24 former members defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“By virtue of Section 109(1)(g) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, which are self executing, and consequent upon their defection, on the 13th Day of December, 2023, Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie, DSSRS, Esq, PhD, as the then duly recognised Speaker of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, by virtue of a court order granted by Hon Justice Danagogo on the 12th Day of December, 2023, in Suit No. PHC/3030/CS/2023, and pursuant to Section 109(2) of the 1999 Constitution, declared their seats vacant.”
Oko-Jumbo therefore, said it was laughable to have heard and seen the news of the illegal sitting of the 25 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule on television screens and social media space on the 15th Day of July, 2024.
The Speaker noted that in the circulated news, it was stated that Amaewhule and his cohorts had passed a resolution to the effect that Governor Siminalayi Fubara is not permitted to authorize the withdrawal of moneys from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State.
He said the resolution further threatened that the House will declare a shutdown on expenditures, until an Appropriation Bill for the 2024 fiscal year is presented and passed by the illegal House, adding that the purported resolution directed the Governor to desist from further authorization of withdrawals from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State, while directing all Rivers State Government Ministries, Commissions, Agencies, Departments and Extra-Ministerial Departments to desist from spending taxpayers’ funds until the 2024 Appropriation Bill is laid before the former lawmakers.
A statement by Dr G. M. Gillis-West , Clerk to the Rivers State House of Assembly, quoted Speaker Oko-Jumbo as having said that consequent upon constitutional provisions and the declaration of their seats vacant, the recognised 10th Rivers State House of Assembly is the one led by Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo.
He further said; “Thus, the Rivers State Government has ceased paying any form of salaries, allowances or statutory remunerations to the former members.”
“The 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, which is the legitimate House under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo is the only one recognised by law and the Rivers State Government, and thus, has been receiving all statutory allocations due the House of Assembly and has been discharging its financial obligations by paying the salaries of the recognised Honourable members of the House, their aides, and allowances of the public servants in the Rivers State House of Assembly,” he declared.
The Speaker further said; “May I remind the defected members that His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, presented the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the Rivers State House of Assembly, under the leadership of the then Speaker, Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie, DSSRS.
“And it was duly passed on the 13th Day of December, 2023, and assented to on the 14th Day of December, 2023. This House awaits to receive from His Excellency, the presentation of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for the next 3 financial years, pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law, No 8 of 2010, in order to prepare for the 2025 fiscal year,” he said.
Oko-Jumbo said that the position of the authentic Rivers State House of Assembly has been communicated to Prof. Ngozi Odu, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State; the Secretary to the Rivers State Government; the Head of the Civil Service of Rivers State; the Accountant-General; and Auditor-General of Rivers State.
He also said that other institutions that have been communicated, include the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria; Chairman of Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission; Accountant-General of the Federation; Group Managing Director/CEO, Zenith Bank PLC; and Managing Director/CEO of Access Bank Group.
