…alleges Fubara’s plans to intimidate members with EFCC
By Davies Iheamnachor
PORT HARCOURT: Rivers State House of Assembly has stated its resolve to go on with the impeachment proceedings against the state governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, adding that the governor and deputy were at war with the Constitution.
The lawmakers also alleged plans by Fubara to use officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to intimidate the house members.
The members of the 10th legislative assembly of the state disclosed this during a media chat in Port Harcourt, Friday.
It would be noted that the house on the 8th of January had commenced impeachment proceedings against Fubara and Odu, citing gross misconduct and disobedience to the constitution.
The house had adjourned to resume its impeachment proceedings on Thursday, January 15, after it had resolved to serve the notice of impeachment on the executive through the clerk of the assembly.
But on Thursday, the house could not sit and reasons for not convening for plenary were not made public.
Also, the four lawmakers, who had earlier sought political solutions to the crisis in the state, reneged on their decisions and returned to continue with the impeachment process.
On Monday, Hon. Sylvanus Nwankwo, the House Minority Leader and representative of Omuma State constituency, alongside Peter Abbey of Degema State constituency, pulled out of the impeachment process and advised their colleagues against the move to impeach the duo.
In a successive turn, Hon. Barile Nwakoh, representing Khana Constituency I, and Emilia Amadi of Obio/Akpor Constituency II, also urged their house members to sheathe their swords and seek political solutions.
However, on Friday, the development took a new twist with the four lawmakers, who had earlier indicated their interest to back down, made a U-turn, calling on their colleagues to continue the impeachment process.
Nwakoh and Amadi, who first addressed journalists, said they have dropped their earlier stance for political solutions and are now ready to impeach the governor.
They claimed that the governor was not ready to abide by agreements and is not ready to retrace his steps.
In his stance, the Majority Leader of the House, Hon Major Jack, said the governor and his deputy were adamant in responding to the claims of gross misconduct against him.
Jack, who had addressed the press alongside other lawmakers from the Ijaw extraction, said Fubara was not ready to obey the constitution, noting that the house would go ahead with the impeachment process.
However, the members of the 10th assembly, in a joint briefing, Friday, said there was need to continue with the proceedings in spite of interventions from Nigerians.
Hon. Dumle Maol, the Deputy Speaker of the House, who read the position of the House from a written address, said the governor was incorrigible, adding that the governor has shown that he cannot be advised.
Maol stressed that the governor and his deputy have remained adamant in resolving all the constitutional issues raised in their impeachment notice.
He noted that the governor and his deputy have no intention to stop disobeying the constitution, adding that Fubara and Odu have remained undisturbed with the development.
He said: “The governor and the deputy governor do not have any intention to stop disobeying the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as altered.
“This is the third time that impeachment proceedings will top affairs of the state and we have noticed that the governor and the deputy governor have mastered the act of manipulating leaders and public opinion against the house rather than retrace their steps assured the house and indeed Nigerians that infractions on the constitution and laws of Rivers State will be altered in the best interest of the state.
“The governor and deputy governor are acting as if Rivers State House of Assembly does not exist. They are unperturbed about allegations and are still boasting through their media attack dogs that members will simply be called to stop and that members cannot enforce the constitution.
“This is indeed a real problem for our democracy. As it looks like the Rivers State governor and the deputy governor are above the constitution and will continue to do whatever they like and the arm of government that is empowered to check their services will always be ordered not to work, keep quiet and be humiliated.”
He alleged that the governor was making plans to use the EFCC to intimidate members of the House, adding that the duo had refused to respond to any of the allegations of gross misconduct against them.
Maol said: “Three, while members were positively considering calls from stakeholders, the governor and the deputy governor were busy using paid media platforms to attack us in the media, misinforming the masses as well as making plans to use state institutions like EFCC to intimidate us.
“They have refused to respond to any of the allegations or particulars of gross misconduct but have so much time to go to the church and use innuendos of barking dogs to spite us and are still insisting that they would not respect the legislature or work with members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, 10th assembly precisely.
“Many stakeholders who are calling on us are not willing to call on the governor and the deputy to do the right thing. The governor and the deputy governor are the aggressors, serial offenders of our constitution and a serious threat to our democracy.
“The sure path to sustainable peace and progress of our state is the rule of law, separation of powers and respect for the constitution and not to blackmail or intimidate anybody or group.”
He noted that the governor and his deputy are at war with the constitution, noting that those who do not mean well for the state or democracy have reduced everything to disagreement between their political leader, Nyesom Wike, and the governor.
He said: “The real problem is that the governor and his deputy are at war with the constitution just to achieve their political goals. We urge the good people of Rivers State to read the notice of allegations against the governor and the deputy governor. We are convinced that they would understand better the situation and the context of our own position.”
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