Pro-Wike Lawmakers Override Fubara Appoint LG caretakers

Overriding Governor Siminalayi Fubara's, the Rivers State House of Assembly approved the Rivers State Local Government (Amendment) Bill into law.

Among other things, the governor's authority to designate caretaker committees for local government units was taken away by the new law.

Additionally, it mandates that elections be held by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission prior to the local government chairmen's terms ending. 

The new rule also stipulates that the current chairmen's terms will be extended by a maximum of six months in the event that the LG election is unable to take place for whatever reason. 

This is the sixth time the House will be overriding the governor to enact laws.

The House, led by its Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, made the decision at its 159th Legislative sitting held at the Assembly Quarters in Port Harcourt.

The decision of the Assembly was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday by the media aide to the Speaker, Martins Wachukwu.

The Assembly had, on March 13, 2014, passed the Local Government (Amendment) Bill and forwarded the same to the governor for his assent.

Fubara, however, withheld his assent, while the lawmakers threatened that they would go ahead to override him.

The Assembly and the governor have not been in a good relationship since late last year after Fubara fell out with his predecessor and political godfather, Nyesom Wike.

Twenty-seven members of the Assembly, including the Speaker, are loyal to Wike and attempted to impeach Fubara last October but for the intervention by President Bola Tinubu, who doused the tension for a while but recent events have shown that the gladiators are back in the trenches.

The statement read, “Determined to perform its constitutional duties, the bill was presented afresh by the Majority Leader, Hon. Major Jack, and debated 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 to the House and with two-thirds majority votes, the House agreed to override the governor and passed the bill into law.”