The gloves are off, daggers drawn as the Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly seems unimpressed by the niceties of dialogue and negotiation to end the lingering Rivers State political crisis.
Apparently bent on avenging its presumed hurt in the hands of the Siminalayi Fubara-led executive branch, the House has summoned the Chairman and Commissioners of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to appear before it in 24 hours for questioning while warning the Governor against running his cabinet with “unscreened” commissioners.
The resolution to communicate to Governor Siminalayi Fubara about “the danger” or legal implications of parading some commissioners and members of some agencies and commissions who were not screened and cleared by the 10th House of Assembly before appointments with their names published came after the House’s plenary session on Wednesday – yesterday, March 5.
The House resolved to summon RSIEC’s chairman, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd) for questioning on the conduct of his office, particularly in relation to the nullified local government elections held in October last year.
The letter, which was signed by the Clerk of the House, Emeka Amadi, noted that RSIEC Chairman conducted the October 5, 2024 council elections in defiance of a subsisting order of a High Court.
Amadi stated: “Consequently, in exercise of the powers of oversight or to conduct investigations vested in the Rivers State House of Assembly as enshrined in Section 128 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, I am directed to invite you and all the commissioners of the Commission. to appear before the House on Friday, 7th March, 2025.
“As already stated, you are requested to honour this summons with all your commissioners and relevant documents empowering you to spend any fund of the commission without an Appropriation Law from January 1, 2024 to date.
“Please, be informed that failure to honour the summons would leave the House with no option, but to issue a warrant of arrest or invoke its powers as enshrined in Section 129 of the Constitution.”
The summons came even as the RSIEC chairman, at a stakeholders’ meeting yesterday, announced August 9 this year for the conduct of fresh council elections.
