Enimere Àkànbí
The Rivers State House of Assembly has begun impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Oduh.
During plenary presided over by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, according to a live broadcast on Channels Television on Thursday, the Majority Leader, Major Jack, read out the notice of allegations and gross misconduct against Fubara.
Twenty-six members of the Rivers State House of Assembly signed the notice, which they alleged was against the Nigerian Constitution.
Amaewhule said the notice will be served to Fubara in the next seven days.
The Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Linda Stewart, also read out the notice of allegations and gross misconduct against Oduh.
Relying on Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution, Jack, reeled out seven points of alleged gross misconduct against Fubara.
Some of the accusations include demolition of the Assembly Complex, extra budgetary spending, withholding funds meant for the Assembly Service Commission, a refusal to obey the supreme court on the financial autonomy of the house.
After Jack, laid his notice before the Speaker, who said the notice would be served to the governor in seven days, the deputy leader, Linda Stewart, also brought forward a notice of gross misconduct against Odu.
According to the report, some of the gross misconduct allegations against Odu, included reckless and unconstitutional spending of public funds, obstruction of the House of Assembly from performing her constitutional duties as outlined by the 1999 Constitution, conniving to allow unauthorised persons to occupy offices without proper screening by the legitimate House of Assembly.
Other allegations were that she approached another group of people for budgetary approval instead of the legitimate Rivers State House of Assembly, seizure of salaries and allowances accruing to the RSHA and the Assembly Service Commission.
Meanwhile, All Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers State Chapter, has rejected moves within the State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, describing the development as “untenable” and warning against destabilizing the state government.
The APC leadership rejected the move in a statement signed by the party’s spokesperson, Darlington Nwauju.
In the statement, the party emphasized that it would “do everything possible” to protect its government in Rivers State from internal strife and urged lawmakers to discontinue the impeachment process to safeguard the state’s progress and democratic stability.
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