The Martin Amaewhule faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly has declared the seat of the now Chief of Staff to the State Government, Edison Ehie, and the Pro-Fubara Assembly Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, vacant, citing their prolonged absence from legislative meetings without just cause.
The affected members Ehie (Ahoada East II), Victor Oko Jombo (Bonny), Adolphus Oruibienimigha (Opobo/Nkoro), and Sokari Sokari (Ahoada West), are pro-Siminialayi Fubara lawmakers in the state.
According to a statement by Martins Wachukwu, Special Assistant on Media to the speaker, the Assembly during its plenary, Tuesday said the decision was made in compliance with Sections 109 (1)(e), (f), and 109 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The motion to declare the seats vacant was moved by Major Jack and co-sponsored by 25 other members, even as the move comes on the heels of controversy surrounding Governor Fubara's 2024 Appropriation Bill.
The governor had presented the N800 billion budget to only four out of 31 members of the Assembly, despite presidential intervention that urged Fubara to represent the budget to Amaewhule's led Assembly.
However, at the resumed sitting, Major Jack and co-sponsored by 25 other members, moved that the seats of the four members be declared vacant for their continued refusal or failure to attend and participate in legislative meetings of the House, without just cause for a period amounting in aggregate, to more than one-third of the total number of days the House met in the first session of the 10th Assembly and for also being absent in the past 56 legislative sittings of the second session.
Debating the motion, members spoke in unison in support of the motion, and sympathized with the constituents of those constituencies whose voices have been drowned in the House for about one year because of the abdication of legislative duties by their representatives.
Commenting on the motion, Amaewhule recalled that after the peace parley that was held at the instance of the President, the House withdrew its impeachment notice on the governor and also recalled the four suspended members, yet they have obstinately refused to attend sittings of the House.
When the Speaker put the question, the House voted in the affirmative that the seats of the four members be declared vacant, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, be notified to conduct elections to fill the vacancies.
Amaewhule reiterated that given the fact the Court of Appeal upheld all the injunctive orders given by the Federal High Court, Governor Fubara was again enjoined to present the 2024 Appropriate Bill to the House.
Major Jack, had informed the House that he was in receipt of the judgment of the Court of Appeal which upheld the judgment of Justice Omotosho of the Federal High Court which recognised the authenticity of the Rivers State House of Assembly under the Speakership of Amaewhule, which was appealed against by Governor Fubara.
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