The Rivers State House of Assembly has accused Governor Siminialayi Fubara of constitutional breaches, citing unlawful appointments and disregard for legislative approval.
The breaches were contained in a letter signed by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule and addressed to the governor.
The House outlined four key infractions, including the appointment of 19 commissioners and other officials without proper screening and confirmation.
The lawmakers, reiterating their stance on upholding constitutional provisions, nullified the appointments and warned that such actions undermined the state’s democratic processes.
Also on Wednesday, the Assembly summoned the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (retd.) to appear before it within 48 hours over the conduct of the October 5, 2024, local government election or risk arrest.
The letter to the governor by the Assembly is the second in a series of correspondences since the Supreme Court affirmed the legitimacy of the 27-member Assembly loyal to former governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and nullified the local government election conducted on October 5, 2024.
In the first letter, dated Monday, March 3, 2025, the lawmakers asked the governor to present the 2025 budget as ordered by the Supreme Court within 48 hours.
It also faulted the order of the governor for the sacked local government chairmen to hand over to the Heads of Local Government Administration in their respective councils.
On Wednesday, as the ultimatum for the budget presentation expired, the government, in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo, maintained that the governor was yet to receive the letter from the Assembly.
The statement claimed that the government only got wind of it in social media.
In the second letter to the governor, signed by Amaewhule and copied the Deputy Governor, Prof Ngozi Odu, the lawmakers said the decision to write the governor stemmed from his disobedience to known laws.
The Assembly, at its 131st legislative sitting in Port Harcourt, noted that the governor made several appointments without forwarding the appointees for screening.
“At the 131st legislative day of the Second Session of the Tenth (10th) Rivers State House of Assembly, which was held on Wednesday, the 5th day of March 2025, the House, amongst other matters, once again deliberated on your numerous appointments of persons into positions that require screening and confirmation by the Rivers State House Assembly and resolved as follows:
“That your attention should once again be drawn to your illegal appointments of persons to serve in various offices without first forwarding their names for screening and confirmation as required by the 1999 Constitution as amended and other extant laws.
“That your attention should specifically be drawn to your failure to forward the name of a nominee for appointment as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to the Rivers State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation, but chose to parade one Mr Dagogo Iboroma as a member of the State Executive Council in this regard, thereby contravening Section 192(2) & (6) as well as Section 195(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“That we should remind you of another infraction of the Constitution in which you illegally swore in several other persons who are parading themselves as commissioners into the Rivers State Executive Council on Tuesday 21st May 2024, namely Prince Charles O.Beke; Collins Onunwo; Solomon Eke; Peter Medee: Elloka Tasie-Amadi; Basoene Joshua Benibo; Tambari Sydney Gbara and Ovy Orluideye Chinendum Chukwuma, without screening and confirmation by the Rivers State House of Assembly, in full compliance with Section 192(2) & (6)of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“Others who were sworn in on Tuesday 13th of August 2024 are Illamu Arugu; Rowland Obed Whyte; Samuel Anya; Samuel Eyiba and Austin Emeka Nnadozie, while Israel Ngbuelu; Evans Bipi, Otamiri Ngubo and Benibo Alabraba were sworn in on Monday 7th October 2024. Emmanuel Frank-Fubara was sworn in on the 8th of July 2024, amounting to a total number of 19 persons parading themselves and misleading Rivers people that they are commissioners,” the letter read.
It added that the governor also appointed and swore in members of the Rivers State Bureau of Public Procurement and Rivers State Local Government Service Commission without screening and confirmation by the Assembly.
“That another infraction of the law is the swearing-in of Lawrence Oko-Jaja as Chairman; Earnest Ibekwe Ekwe; Mina Ogbanga; Iseleye Amachree and Adokiye Oyagiri as members of the Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement on Friday 30th of August 2024 without screening and confirmation by the Rivers State House of Assembly, as stipulated in Section 4(a) of the Rivers State Public Procurement Law No. 4 of 2008. Others are Gift Alex-Hart; Grace Osaronu and Selinah Amonieah as members.
“That the swearing-in of Goodlife Ben as Chairman; Emmanuel Jaja; Betty Warmate; Jerome Chimenem; Prince Ohochukwu; Philip Okparaji and Christian Amadi as members of the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission without screening and confirmation contrary to Section 44(3) of the Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018 is another infraction.
“That these appointments by you that are highlighted and other appointments made but not mentioned here for want of space that are not in consonance with extant laws are not only infractions but are seriously threatening our nascent democracy so, should and shall be remedied,” the letter added.
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