RVHA Suspends Oyigbo LG Boss For Misrepresentation, Budget Improprieties

The Rivers State House of Assembly has suspended the Chairman of Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state, Hon Precious Oforji, for what the lawmakers described as a misrepresentation of the House. The Oyigbo LG boss also incurred the wrath of the  Assembly because of alleged budget improprieties. Following the suspension, the House has directed the Vice Chairman of the council to take over the administration of the affairs of the local government area in the interim.

These decisions followed the appearance of members of Oyigbo legislative arm (councillors) on the floor of the House, Monday, on the invitation of the members of 23 local government legislative arms by the state legislature.

Oyigbo councillors had told the Rivers lawmakers that their legislative chamber had been under lock and key since August 2010, stating that the situation arose when the councilors detected alleged fraud in the 2010 budget estimate of the council forwarded to the House for consideration.

The councillors also accused the chairman, Hon Precious Oforji of expending from the 2010 council estimate without the House giving a legal backing by way of passing the budget into law.

The Rivers Assembly legislators, angered by the disclosure of Oyigbo councilors against the council chairman, moved that the council should be put on hold till the crisis between the executive and legislative arm in Oyigbo was resolved.

Moving the motion for the suspension of the Oyigbo council boss, the leader of the House, Hon Chidi Lloyd told his colleagues that there was urgent need to amend the state local government law to fix a minimum qualification for councillorship position in the state.

Lloyd urged the House to declare a warrant on the Oyigbo council chairman for abetting the rules of budgeting, adding that as a former member of the House for eight years, he should have been a true ambassador of the House.

In his words, “there shouldn’t have been any problem in the local government legislative arm, considering the fact that he (Precious Oforji) had served as a member of this House for eight years.”

Supporting the sentiments expressed by the House leader and the call for suspension, Hon Tamunosisi Gogo Jaja (Opobo/Nkoro) and Henry Ogiri (Abua/Odual) stated that the issue involved was a serious matter and should be given the attention it deserved.

The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Tonye Harry, who presided over the sitting put the motion into vote. 13 legislators voted for the suspension of Hon Precious Oforji from office while one lawmaker voted against and four absented. Following this development, the vice chairman was directed to take over the administration of the council till the resolution of the matter.

Meanwhile, Speaker Tonye Harry last Monday, walked-out the suspended chairman of Oyigbo council, Hon Precious Oforji from the Assembly chambers.

The speaker spoke pointblank to Oforji who came the House upon hearing the news of his suspension by the lawmakers that he cannot be allowed to enter into the hallow chambers of the house against until his suspension is lifted by the House.

“We have taken a resolution on the floor of the House today to suspend you, you cannot sit with us again until your matter is resolved,” he said.