RVHA Tasks IGP On Slain Footballer

The Rivers State House of Assembly (RVHA) in its only plenary session last week moved two motions on matters of urgent public importance.

The Assembly had on Thursday called for an inquest into the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) failure to conduct all pending rerun elections into legislative positions as ordered by various election petition tribunals.

This followed the unanimous adoption of a motion under matters of urgent public importance sponsored by the leader of the House, Hon. Martins Amaewhule at the plenary session in Port Harcourt.

After series of debates on the motion titled, “Non-Conduct of Election in Rivers State”, the House condemned INEC’s inability to conduct the legislative rerun election in the state.

The 8th Assembly also urged INEC as a matter of urgency to conduct the rerun election in the state or face legal action by the assembly.

In his presentation, Hon Amaewhule observed that the failure of INEC to conduct the rerun election in Rivers State breached the Electoral Act and Section 76 of the 1999 Constitution, and that the action of the electoral umpire has continued to deny the people of the state equal representations in both State and National Assemblies in Nigeria.

Ruling on the motion, the Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Adams Dabotorudima resolved that the resolution of the Assembly would be passed to the Governor of the State, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for appropriate action.

Respectively at same Thursday’s plenary session the member representing Ahoada-west, constituency Hon Okpokiri Nwanaka moved a motion to condemn the alleged killing on October 16, 2016 by men of Joint Task Force (JTF) of a footballer, Mr Joseph Izu at Okarki Community in Ahoada-West of Rivers State.

Following the motion, the House called on Inspector General of Police and federal government to urgently commence proper investigation into the killing of the footballer in Okarki as well as other killings by the JTF in Orashi region of the state.

Shortly after the plenary session, the House committee on public complaint and petitions led by its vice Chairman, Hon Major Jack hosted the representatives of Ahoada East communities and Niger Delta Petroleum Resort Company (NDPR) at the Assembly’s event hall in Port Harcourt, to resolve the differences between the company and the communities in the state.

After hearing from both parties, the committee resolved that the company should implement the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the host communities in the area.

The committee also resolved that the company should urgently commence employment and construction of the internal ring roads earlier abandoned by the company in the area.

The committee also urged the company to commence work on the uncompleted civic centre in Ahoada-East.

Commending the host communities of the company for their peaceful dispositions, the committee urged the communities to maintain the existing peace and harmony with the company.

Enoch Epelle