Assembly Watch

The week under review started with the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi instituting legal action agianst the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Dan Amachree, and the other 31 members from impeaching him without following due process.

This had come as a surprise to close watchers of the political scenario in the State, especially against the backdrop of the fact that penultimate week, the Speaker had pledged the unalloyed allegiance of 27 of the members of the House to the Governor, including himself.

Consequently, political pundits have expressed the possibility of more of such surprises springing up, if the crisis within the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) remains unresolved.

Meanwhile, although the House had adjourned sine die, following the crisis within the state chapter of the PDP, members still in their very busy schedules found time to attend to matters that require their attention. Among them was the Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, Mrs. Victoria Nyeche, who marked the 2013 World Environment Day, midweek.

She used the opportunity to advocate for a safer environment by urging Nigerians to imbibe the culture of preserving the country’s natural resources for posterity. She noted that preserving resources, especially the food we eat, would impact  greatly our environment, adding that this year’s theme, “Think, Eat and Save” was apt.

Also busy on Thursday was the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Leyii Kwanee, who played host to the National Association of Ogoni Media Workers (NAOMEW).

While responding to the body’s call for him to use his good offices to ensure the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoni, Hon. Kwanee assured them that he would ally with his colleagues both in the State and the National Assemblies to vigorously pursue the implementation of the UNEP report.

The Deputy Speaker also used the opportunity to urge the people of Ogoni to support Governor Amaechi, if they hope to achieve their aspiration of  vying for the Governorship of the State in 2015.

In another development, a Port Harcourt High Court presided over  by  Justice Aprioku adjourned till June 19 the suit filed by the suspended 27 members of the House against the PDP, challenging their suspension from the party.

Counsels for the PDP, Ken Njemanze and Belu Olisa Nwafor for the 27 law-makers had differed on the issue of jurisdiction.