Don’t Test Our Strength, Rivers Assembly Warns Commissioners …Threatens Warrant Of Arrest

The Rivers State House of Assembly has threatened to issue a warrant of arrest against any government official, including commissioners who fail to honour it’s invitation.
The House gave the warning when five out of nine appointees surmoned by the legislators appeared before it yesterday. Four did not appear but sent apologies.
The Deputy Speaker,Hon. Leyii Kwanee, who presided over the sitting, warned the appointees not to test the strength of the 7th Assembly, He frowned at the excuses given by most of the commissioners who were summoned to appear before the House  yesterday.
The House, in its sitting on Monday, presided over  by the Deputy Speaker, Leyii Kwanee, had summoned nine commissioners and four board chairmen over the state’s economy.
Kwanee while speaking during yesterday’s sitting, when three, of nine commissioners that were summoned appeared, said the House was out to serve the people of the state and not to witch-hunt anyone.
The lawmakers had rigorously debated whether or not to question the three commissioners or adjourn till tomorrow when other commissioners promised to be available.
The commissioners that were present are: George Tolofari (Transport); Austine Wokocha (Power), and Gogo Levi Charles (Budegt and Planning),  as well as the Chairman, Rivers State Assembly Service Commission, Ombo Princewill.
But as the House adjourned till Thursday, Kwanee, read the riot act, saying,”Whatever I need to do to strengthen our democracy and put smiles on the faces of our people, I will do it. We will be remembered for what we did as lawmakers.
“Nobody should attempt to try the will of the House… No matter how short the days are, we will continue to make laws until May 29, 2015, and nobody can intimidate this House.
“At the next sitting, the House would like to get all those invited to be present. We will not tolerate any excuses,” he said.
Kwanee, however, disclosed that three commissioners, including that of Finance, informed him why they could not appear before the House, an explanation that forced the House Leader, Hon. Chidi Lloyd to move for an adjournment to Thursday, explaining that some commissioners were on special assignments.
But the Deputy House Leader, Hon. Nname Ewor, who originally moved the motion for the suspension of three local government  council caretaker chairman and the summoning of the commissioners, wondered what kind of assignment would prevent them from honouring the invitation of the House.
He said: “I took pains to present these issues yesterday (Monday).There were salient issues I raised. If we want to screen people for positions and appointments, even if they are in America, they would rush down here.
“What special assignment are other commissioners doing now? We should take on those that are present. We should ask them one or two questions instead of asking them to leave. The ones that are not here should come and explain to Rivers people,” he said.
Earlier, the House adopted a petition filed against the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Emma Chindah, who was accused of conniving with the suspended Caretaker Committee Chairman of Asari Toru Local Government Area, Ojukaye Flagg-Amachree, wherein he was accused of keeping to himself an unspecified sum of sum of meant for agricultural empowerment of the people.
In the petition titled: “A case of fraud and outright denial of poverty eradication beneficiaries of the agricultural loan in Asalga,” the Commissioner was accused of refusing to hand over the money to members of the cooperative, that were to use the money, even as the  House referred the petition to a committee.

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education, Mr Minabelem Micheal-West, Government and Community Relations Manager East, SPDC, Mr Edesiri Akpormudjere and Mr Karibi George, during the Safe Routes To School, Child Road Safety Initiative, recently