Suspended members of Rivers State House of Assembly embark on a tour of the UK

SEVERAL members of the Rivers State House of Assembly recently relieved of their jobs by the declaration of state of emergency and the appointment of a sole administrator in Port Harcourt have flown to the UK where they will embark on a tour.

Last month, following ongoing and incessant spats between the Rivers State governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, the Federal Capital Territory minister Nyesom Wike, the federal government dissolved the state government. President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the governor and the House of Assembly, appointing the former chief of naval staff Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas as administrator for six months.

Since the development, nothing has been heard of the lawmakers, who were apparently on the verge of removing Governor Fubara before President Tinubu declared the state of emergency. Now, the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by the speaker Hon Martins Amaewhule have departed for the UK on a tour.

Martins Wachukwu, Hon Amaewhule’s special assistant on media, confirmed that the lawmakers had left Nigeria. Apparently, Hon Amaewhule declared open the 10th Rivers Assembly Legislative Tour of the United Kingdom on Friday.

Hon Amaewhule claimed that  the legislative tour would afford the House the opportunity to learn new things outside the shores of Nigeria, which would improve the capacity of members for the task ahead.  The opening ceremony, which was said to be the Day One of a five-day tour, took place in central London with the theme Legislative Dynamics in the Presidential and Parliamentary Systems.

Principal officers and members of the House, who spoke at the opening ceremony expressed optimism that the tour would provide another opportunity for peer review and gainful insights for parliamentary oversight. They said the UK tour brought to three the total number of capacity building programmes organised by the leadership of the House without funding from the government.

Mr Wachukwu said: “These programmes including the present tour are 100% sponsored by concerned leaders of the state, who have remained supportive of the House despite the prolonged, provocative and unconstitutional non-funding of the House by the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara. In this regard, the House used the opportunity of the opening ceremony to express immense gratitude to the political leader of Rivers State,  Nyesom Wike and other political leaders under the umbrella of the Rivers State Elders Council who have continued to stand by them."

Hon Amaewhule extended the appreciation of the House to the Rivers people for their continued support.  He assured the people of better days ahead and urged them to remain peaceful and supportive of the sole administrator in Rivers State.