Rivers State Leaders have asked the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara to discard any plan to demolish structures at the House of Assembly quarters in Port Harcourt.
The leaders from across political lines made the call during a visit to the quarters on Sunday, May 12, for an assessment.
Their visit was in reaction to insinuations by Fubara to renovate the estate which houses the Hallowed Chamber of the state Assembly.
Speaking during the visit, Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule stated that the governor was plotting to bring down the structures to stop the lawmakers from sitting.
Amaewhule said that the structures, which were recently built by the former governor and FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, were in excellent condition.
He said “We have also brought in experts, engineers and there is nothing wrong with these structures. They are fully in use and fully functional. All the experts confirmed to us that this building is one of the best in the entire West Africa.
“This complex was constructed by the former Governor, Nyesom Wike and inaugurated in August 2022 by the current chief of staff to Mr. President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila. We are happy with the building and everything is working well.
“We didn’t write to the governor and we didn’t invite him. We didn’t ask for his help because we don’t need it. We don’t need his intervention in any way. Any attempt to talk about reconstruction or demolition is clearly an assault on democracy and an assault on members resident in these buildings.
The Rivers State Government is not the office of the governor. It comprises the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary. The governor has no right to claim it as his personal property. It is the property of the Rivers State House of Assembly. So without an invitation to the governor, he has no right to break into our property.
“All the orders of injunction by that court are still in place. None had been vacated. The law is on the side of members. The orders of the three high courts are still in place. The duty of ascertaining whether there is a problem is the duty of the assembly not the office of the governor.
“This facility belongs to the Rivers State House of Assembly and it remains so. We are not an appendage of the office of the governor. The judgement of Justice Omotosho bars him from interfering with our affairs. The judgement says don’t interfere with anything concerning us. It is in continuous disobedience to the order of the court that the governor broke into this place.
“The judgment also barred the other people from doing what they are currently doing. It is only the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission that can recruit, and discipline any staff member of the assembly. Those other people are Nollywood actors. The law is on our side. There is also a subsisting order of another court made by Justice Okoro”.
Also speaking during the assessment, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, said that the leaders were worried about the news of another demolition.
He said: “Let me salute the speaker and members of the House. The assembly complex that was brought down some leaders of the state went to the USA to get that design. When it was built, it was the best state assembly in this country. That structure is nowhere today.
“However, as members of the National Assembly from Rivers State, we have joined the leaders and elders of the state to discuss the issues happening in our state the latest being the threat to
bring down the structures in this premises.
We have commissioned engineers and experts to study and give us the report of the integrity of these structures. We have received the report. And the report says these structures have a lifespan of nothing less than 25 years.
“We have on our own come out to physically inspect the structures to crosscheck it with the report we received and these structures are still strong and healthy. Our apartments in the National Assembly are not better than what we have seen here.
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“We should be proud that our state assembly occupies this quarters. It is easier to destroy than to build. The one we have destroyed have we made any move to rebuild it? Let us know that public officers should be living examples in society both in character and in conduct. Let us also caution that you must govern in line with the rule of law.
We want to advise the governor to bridle a little bit at the exuberance that we had seen within this period. It doesn’t portend well to our state.
“We members of the National Assembly have not spoken. We have observed. But we cannot continue to fold our hands and watch our state fly. We are coming out and we will take a position without looking at anybody.
“It will be a position that will be in the interests of the state. No one individual is larger than Rivers State. We are members, leaders, and elders of Rivers, and this state we must protect”.
