Fubara and Wike

As Court says Factional Speaker Amaewhule, Deputy Maol risk jail on contempt over  Rivers crisis

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has directed the redeployment of the Emeka Amadi and Callistus Ojirika, the Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Rivers House House of Assembly respectively with immediate effect.

In a memo sighted by our Correspondent was signed by Dr Mrs Inyingi S.I.Brown, a Director on behalf of the Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr. George Nwaeke vide Circular No. A238/VOL.XV(15)/81 dated 20th November, 2023.

It says that effected some of the postings in the state’s civil service, titled, “Senior Staff Posting”, Dr. Nwaeke listed those affected says that Mr. Emeka Amadi, Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly is now deployed to Scholarship Board, Mr. Calistus Ojirika, deputy Clerk and Head of Legislative Department in the House of Assembly now posted to the Readers Project, while Mr. Georgewill Otto, an Assistant Director in the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development is now moved to Rivers State Small Town and Rural Water Supply Agency.

The redployment memo

The memo.also stated that the posting takes immediate effect. It further directed the affected officers to complete handover procedures to the most senior officers in their respective departments as their service records are expected to be moved to the offices of their new postings.

Our Correspondent reports that observers of Rivers State politics view the redeployments of the key Legislative heads may be part of strategic moves by  to truncate the planned impeachment planned by the 27 lawmakers loyal to Nyesom Wike, Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT,as against the Four loyal to him.

Investigations, however, show  Nigeria, the impeachment process typically involves the State House of Assembly. The Clerk of the State House of Assembly plays a crucial role in the legislative process, including the initiation and handling of impeachment proceedings. But there could be alternatives as process may vary from State to State and process has stringent laid down procedures.

Court says: Factional Speaker Amaewhule, Deputy Maol risk jail on contempt over  Rivers crisis

The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has issued contempt of Court Form 48 against the factional embattled Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, and his deputy, Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol loyal to Nyesom Wike Minister of Federal Capital Territory.

It was issued in pursuant to an application made by the factional Speaker Rt. Hon. Ehie Ogerenye Edison loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly over disobedience of the order of the Court made on the 7th day of November 2023.

In the suit number FHC/PH/CS/240/2023, filed by the Rivers State House of Assembly as the first plaintiff and Rt. Hon. (Barr) Ehie Ogerenye Edison as the second plaintiff, the court had ordered the parties to stop taking any further steps concerning the subject matter of the suit before the court.

Ehie alleges that in flagrance disobedience to the Court order, the Assembly faction led by Amaewhule sat on Monday, November 20, at the Assembly complex under alleged Police coverage and deliberated on several issues.

Consequently, the court entered Form 48 titled ‘Notice of Consequences of Disobedience of Order of Court’, dated November 22, 2023, and signed by the Registrar of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt Judicial Division.

The notice issued in the case presided over by Justice Phoebe Ayua warned that the defendants would be liable to be committed to prison unless they obeyed the order of the Court and maintained the status quo.

Recall could be made that Edison claims that he was elected by 26 of his colleagues as the new Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly in the process filed in court.

He accused Amaewhule of invading the Rivers State House of Assembly and purportedly holding a sitting of the House in flagrant violation of the order of the court for parties to maintain status quo.