In response to the recent arson attack on the State Assembly, Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has enacted an executive order.
This order mandates the temporary relocation of the State House of Assembly sessions to the Auditorium located within the Administrative section of the Government House in Port Harcourt.
This decision was announced in a statement from the Government House on the evening of Friday, May 10, 2024. The executive order, officially known as the Rivers State Government Executive Order 001-2023, was issued following the destructive fire incident in October 2023, which was reportedly caused by unidentified miscreants.
Governor Fubara justified this decision by citing safety concerns. He stated that the current state of the House of Assembly complex poses a significant risk to the lives of the staff and lawmakers.
This development comes shortly after a Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt issued an interim injunction. This injunction prevents the pro-Wike speaker of the state House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, along with 24 other members, from presenting themselves as legislators. This court order was a result of an exparte motion filed against the pro-Wike lawmakers by the pro-Siminialayi Fubara speaker, Victor Oko Jumbo, and three others.
The governor’s gazette further elaborates on the situation, stating that the fire incident on October 29, 2023, caused significant damage to the revered chambers of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The current state of the Assembly is deemed unsafe and poses a threat to the lives of the staff and the honorable members. Therefore, it is deemed necessary to carry out urgent repairs, renovations, and reconstruction of the damaged chambers.
In conclusion, Governor Fubara, under the powers vested in him by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), has ordered that all proceedings and business of the Rivers State House of Assembly will temporarily take place at the Auditorium, Admin Block, Government House, Port Harcourt. This arrangement will continue until the completion of the repairs, renovation, or reconstruction of the Assembly chambers.
