The Rivers State House of Assembly has passed the Rivers State Local Government (Amendment) Bill into law, overriding the assent of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The lawmakers, the majority of whom are loyal to Barr. Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), passed the bill after some of them had rejected it in 2018 when Wike was the governor.
According to a statement issued in Port Harcourt by Martins Wachukwu, the media aide to speaker Hon Martin Amaewhule, the lawmakers passed the bill at its 159th Legislative sitting held at the Assembly Quarters in Port Harcourt.
The statement noted that on March 13, 2024, the House passed the Local Government (Amendment) Bill and forwarded it to Fubara for assent, but the governor did not assent to it.
It added that when Amaewhule tabled the bill before the lawmakers, a vote was cast wherein a two-thirds majority vote agreed to the passage of the bill after overriding the governor.
The statement states: “Determined to perform its Constitutional duties, the Bill was represented by the Majority Leader, Hon. Major Jack and debated upon by Members.
“Thereafter, the House in accordance with the provisions of Section 100(5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as altered, which empowers the House to override the Governor, where he withholds his assent; the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule put the question, and with a two-thirds majority vote, the House agreed to override the Governor and passed the Bill into Law. ”
Also, the House screened and confirmed nominees for the position of Chairman and Members of the Assembly Service Commission, which has Sampson Worlu as Chairman, Hon. Abinye Blessing Pepple, Mrs Blessing Belema Derefaka, Mr Gbaranen Robinson, and Madam Dorcas Amos as members.
The speaker also announced the passage of Mr Lucky Amadi, the husband of the honourable Member for Obio/Akpor Constituency II, Hon. Emilia Lucky Amadi, adding that members would pay a condolence visit to the bereaved lawmaker.
