Tag: Amaewhule-led Assembly

The Speaker Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly in Rivers State is conducting a separate probe of the October 7th violent attacks and destruction of some local government areas’ secretariats in the state.

Some councils’ secretariats were burnt and some persons killed in the riot that ensued when the newly inaugurated local government chairmen took over their secretariats.

But the action of the lawmakers came few days after a seven-member Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the state governor, Siminialayi Fubara, to probe the destruction and make recommendations, submitted its report to the governor.

Fubara had vowed to implement the white paper that would emerge from the commission’s report to stop the trend of bombing public infrastructures in Rivers.

Read Also: Amaewhule-led Assembly repeals Rivers Commission of Inquiry Law 1999

But on Thursday, during the sitting of the Speaker Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly, Amaewhule called on House Committee on Public Complaints and Petitions to expedite action in submitting reports on the various petitions referred to the Committee.

Amaewhule particularly asked the committee to submit the report of its investigations on the disturbances witnessed in the state on the 7th of  October, 2024, which affected some local government council secretariats.

A statement signed by Amaewhule’s Special Assistant on Media, Martins Wachukwu, said Amaewhule reminded the committee of Section 128 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, which he said gave the House the power to conduct investigations and and urged the committee to accelerate the process.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Public Complaints and Petitions, Enemi George, said due diligence was being taken to ensure that everybody concerned was given fair hearing. 

George assured the House that reports on the various petitions and investigations would be presented to the House soon.

The Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers House of Assembly plans to set aside October 29 as Commemoration Day for what it calls “unprovoked attacks on the legislature.”

The Assembly reached the resolution yesterday during its plenary at the auditorium of the Assembly Quarters on Aba Road.

Lawmakers said every October 29 would henceforth be used to remember the mindless burning down of the hallowed Chamber of the Rivers State House of Assembly a year ago, the attack on the official residence of the Speaker and the brazen demolition of the Assembly Complex.

They accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of masterminding the attacks to rid the Assembly of his perceived political enemies.

Read Also; In defence of Wike on Abuja demolitions

Speaking on the matter, House Leader Major Jack drew his colleagues’ attention to the sad events, especially the burning down of the Chamber on the October 29, 2023 by some arsonists.

Speaker Amaewhule said: “It has been 386 days since the heartless burning down of the hallowed Chamber of the House, yet no conviction has been made.”

In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Martins Wachukwu, the Speaker also said it had been 341 days since the state Governor, Siminialayi Fubara, supervised the demolition of the Assembly Complex on the December 13, 2023 without the knowledge and approval of the House.

Amaewhule described it as a sad reminder of the brutal attacks on the legislature, which he described as the bastion of democracy.

“The House resolved to set aside every 29th of October as a solemn day to commemorate all the iniquitous, scandalous and malicious attacks on the Rivers State House of Assembly by Governor Fubara”, the statement said.

The House directed Julius Berger Plc to carry out remedial repairs on the collapsed sections of the alternative routes to the Port Harcourt Ring Road.

Debating on the report of the House Committee on Works, members commended the committee for the detailed explanations and urged the committee to follow up.

The House resolved that the synergy between the contracting firm and the committee be maintained to ensure that the execution of the Port Harcourt Ring Road remained on course and that the collapsed sections of the designated alternative routes were fixed.

The Speaker Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly on Tuesday, July 9, sat for the second time after the Court of Appeal judgement.

The House, during the sitting, passed a Bill for a law to amend the Rivers State Education (Return of Schools) Law No. 1 of 2005 to return the Kalabari Girls High School, Buguma from the church to the state government.

A statement signed by Amaewhule’s Special Assistant on Media, Martins Wachukwu, said the lawmakers debated on the report of the House Committee on Education.

Members were said to have expressed their support for the Bill insisting that the school should be returned to the government for better management.

The lawmakers said with the passage, the school was now well-positioned to cater for the educational needs of the girl – child in Asari Toru Local Government Area and beyond

Commenting on the report, Amaewhule commended the sponsor of the Bill, Tekenari Granville, describing the objective of the bill as laudable.

Read Also: BREAKING: Court bars Amaewhule-led Assembly from sitting, acting as Rivers lawmakers

He observed that the Kalabari Girls High School, Buguma was erroneously ceded to the church and returning it the government would help the government manage it well.

 Amaewhule added that the essence of the Bill was to empower the state government to take over the administration of the school to make it serve the purpose for which it was built.

In line with their rules, the House resolved into Committee of the Whole and gave further consideration to the clauses of the bill before reverting to Plenary to pass it.