Rivers Assembly overrides Governor Fubara, passes 4 new bills into law

The Rivers State House of Assembly has voted to override Governor Siminalayi Fubara and pass 4 new bills into law.

According to reports, this development occurred during plenary on Friday (today) at the House of Assembly Quarters after the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule read 4 letters addressed to him by the governor wherein he declined his assent to the four new bills which had been sent to him for assent.

The House relying on Section 100 subsection 5 said the assent of the governor is not required for the passage into law of the said bills.

The section states that “where the Governor withholds assent and the bill is again passed by two thirds majority, the bill shall become a law and the assent of the Governor shall not be required.’’

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Amaewhule also accused Governor Fubara of having no plans to conduct local government elections in the state, saying “by the reasons given by the Governor it means he doesn’t plan to conduct local government elections in the state”.

The Speaker further said, “the key thing here is that this law removes the power of the Governor to appoint Caretaker Committee Chairmen for the Local Governments, the Governor is not happy that we’re removing his powers to appoint caretaker chairmen.”

The 4 Laws passed are: The Rivers Local Government Amendment Law; The Rivers State Traditional Rulers Amendment Law; The Rivers State Advertisement and Use of State-Owned Property Prohibition repeal law and The Rivers State Funds Management and Financial Autonomy Law.

In a related development, a Federal High Court in Abuja had a few days ago nullified the N800 billion budget passed by the Edison Ehie led group of the Rivers State House of Assembly and signed into law by the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

The court also upheld the suit filed by the Assembly and Speaker Martin Amaewhule, against Fubara, which sought an order of injunction restraining the governor from frustrating the Assembly under his leadership as speaker, among others.

The presiding judge, James Omotosho, held that everything done by the 4 lawmakers was null and void.