The cold war between members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and Governor Siminalayi Fubara may have resumed with the latest actions of the law makers.
The House friday passed a bill repealing the governor’s power to appoint caretaker committees for the local government areas.
The bill – The Rivers Local Government Amendment Law – was one of the four passed by the House to override the governor’s veto of the same earlier passed to him for assent.
The assembly’s action came on a day the governor swore in the nine pro-Wike commissioners, who had resigned their appointments in the heat of the crisis between the governor and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike.
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Fubara, in a veiled reference to the circumstances that triggered the resignation of the commissioners, said they were caught in cross fire.
Other bills passed yesterday by the assembly in defiance of the governor’s veto were the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Amendment Law; the Rivers State Advertisement and Use of State Owned Property Prohibition Repeal Law and the Rivers State Funds Management and Financial Autonomy Law.
One other implication of the Local Government Amendment Law is that the state has to conduct local government election at the expiration of the three-year tenure of the current officials in the next two months.
Martins Wachukwu, Special Adviser on Media to Speaker Martin Amaewhule, said the House, at its 99th Legislative Sitting, bypassed the assent of the governor to the four bills following a letter from the governor justifying why he failed to sign the bills.
The governor, in the letter read on the floor of the House, argued that such amendments would create confusion and breach constitutional provisions.
However, the Speaker, citing Section 100(5) of the 1999 amended Constitution, said the House was empowered to override the governor in the event of the governor withholding assent.
The Speaker then put the issue before the House for members to vote.
Twenty-four of them, more than two-thirds majority, unanimously voted that the bills should become laws without Fubara’s assent.
The section says “where the Governor withholds assent and the bill is again passed by a two-thirds majority, the bill shall become a law and the assent of the Governor shall not be required.”
Amaewhule said the reasons adduced by the governor for withholding assent on the Local Government Amendment Bill were anticipatory and tailored towards creating a situation that would make holding election in the state impracticable.
“The key thing here is that this law removes the power of the Governor to appoint caretaker committee chairmen for the local governments. The governor is not happy that we’re removing his powers to appoint caretaker chairmen,” he said.
Amaewhule described the amendment to the Rivers State Traditional Rulers’ Law as innocuous and wondered why the governor declined assent.
He said the law was amended to include a resolution of the House in the recognition, de-recognition or suspension of traditional rulers in the state to curb arbitrariness.
On the repeal of the Rivers State Advertisement and Use of State-owned Property (Prohibition) Law No. 7 of 2022, the Speaker said that the House decided to repeal the law to avoid financially overburdening the people of the state or impeding their access to the use of state-owned facilities and regretted that the governor withheld assent to such people-oriented bills.
He said that the House would continue to strengthen democratic institutions and ethos in the state and instructed the Clerk of the House to ensure that copies of all the laws were transmitted to relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Regardless of the development in the State Assembly, Fubara swore in the nine loyalists of Wike who had resigned as commissioners in the heat of the crisis.
Their re-instatement was part of the agreement reached at the Abuja peace talks brokered between the Fubara and Wike sides by President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking at the event yesterday, Fubara told them he had nothing against them and asked them to engage in activities that would make them to be positively remembered by posterity.
Observing that they had already read the charge as contained in their oath of office, Fubara in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Boniface Onyedi, enjoined them to uphold and defend the state’s laws.
He said: “I wish you well in your coming back. Stand for justice and stand for the interests of our dear state. That is the purpose of your appointment, and that is the truth.
“I can see how heavy your hearts are. But I assure you that I don’t have anything against anyone of you. You were caught in between during the crossfire.
“I will advise that you give your best. Like I said the first time, let this state and posterity remember you for what is good.”
With the inauguration of the returnee commissioners, it was observed that the governor had almost fulfilled the resolutions contained in the peace accord apart from an item which required him to re-present the Rivers 2024 Appropriation Bill to the House of Assembly led by Speaker Amaewhule.
Also yesterday, Fubara, in a broadcast following his electoral victory at the Supreme Court, urged all stakeholders in the state to put aside their differences and unite to develop the state.
He told the people to expect accelerated growth and development of the state following an end to the legal battles challenging his election.
The litigation experience, he said, was a tortuous journey that had validated the choice and confirmed the mandate freely given to him by the electorate.
He said: “It is with great joy and total deference to the Almighty God that I address you after a tortuous legal journey following the governorship election in our state.
“It is with great nostalgia I reflect on your trust and the absolute confidence you bestowed on us on that fateful March 18, 2023 when you gave us your mandate.
“Even with that overwhelming support, we had to go through litigation to validate your choice and confirmation of your mandate to us.
“We are deeply elated by the verdict of the Supreme Court of our dear nation, which has finally affirmed our victory. I owe this victory not to my efforts or our ingenuity, but to God and to you the good people of Rivers State.”
Fubara also thanked President Bola Tinubu for playing the role of a father in Rivers, all Rivers leaders and well-meaning people of the state.
The governor said the Supreme Court judgment was an immeasurable energizer to accelerate governance with utmost sense of commitment for the benefit of Rivers people irrespective of political persuasion or ethnic affiliation.
He said: “In this regard, what is important to us is the accelerated growth and development of our dear state.
“Now that the litigations are over, we call on the opposition political parties in the state to join hands with our government to build the Rivers State of our dreams.
“I extend the olive branch to my contenders and all others who went through the hog and or who withdrew their cases for the love of the state.
“I believe we are all Rivers people and by virtue of that brotherhood, let us therefore put aside our differences and bond together to build one indivisible and greater Rivers State that posterity will remember us for.”
The Rivers State Elders/Leaders Forum congratulated the governor on his victory and asked for the support of the people for him.
The forum in an eight-point communique hailed the apex court for “this excellent timeout determination of the electoral matters in Rivers State.”
It said: “The judgment has calmed the outstanding political tension in the state and indeed the Niger Delta.
“In this contest, there is no victor, no vanquished. All we crave for at this forum is the sanctity of the laws of the country and the Rule of Law.
“This judgment lays to rest the era of strong men, but protects and encourages strong and viable institutions.”
The Leader of Oyibo chapter of “Activate Sim”, a socio-political group in the state, Dr. Gift Okere, said the victory of Governor Fubara would engender development in the state.
Okere, while reacting to the judgment, reiterated the commitment of Oyibo people to continue in their support for all the programmes and activities of Governor Fubara, and called on every member of the state to throw their weights behind the Governor in the interest of the state.
“For us in Oyibo, the victory means a victory for Nigeria, democracy and Rivers State, particularly the progressive minded people of the state,” he said.
On his part, a rights activist and Convener Rivers Peace Initiative, Obinna Ebodigi, said the judgment marked a pivotal moment for the state, and urged parties to adopt the no-victor-no-vanquished option for peace and unity of the state.
He said: “Indeed the unfortunate activities of the last few weeks have left our state tensed and sharply polarized many Rivers people along party and ethic lines as have never been seen in our shared history.
“But as we navigate through the decision of the apex court today, it is important that we unite in a shared commitment to peace, understanding, and collective pursuit of justice for all.”
