Miffed over the exclusion of Rivers State from the Federal Government emergency funding for flood-prone states and the Paris Club refund, the state House of Assembly says it would petition the United Nations and the National Assembly over the matter.
The petition emanated from a motion raised by the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Martin Amaewhule on the floor, yesterday, as the House deliberated on issues affecting the state.
The motion, however, was amended after debate by members, with a resolution to condemn the recall of the Paris Club refund and write the Federal Government to direct multinational companies operating in Ahoada-West to donate relief materials as part of their corporate social responsibility, among others.
The House held that there was need to cry out to the international community over deliberate plan of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to sideline Rivers State on its right to benefit from the government.
Against this backdrop, the legislators, in a unanimous vote, supported the plan to address an international press conference to let world leaders know what the state was suffering in the hands of the present Federal Government.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani cited the Constitution as amended in Chapter 2 while pinpointing subsections 14, 15 (4,5) as provisions in the law that flaw all actions of the Federal Government against the state.
He said, “It’s a sad commentary that the Federal Government cannot protect the people of Rivers State”.
The Speaker explained that since most parts of the state are riverine, the coastal states were prone to flooding hence special attention should be given to those areas.
The sorry state of the situation being faced by people in Ahoada-West and some parts of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government areas was painted by Hon. Nanaka Ogbokiri, Christian Ahiakwo and Nathaniel Uwaji.
Ogbokiri had earlier raised the motion seeking to compel multinationals to intervene in the situation, as Ahiakwo decried the exclusion of the state from the NEMA’s N3billion emergency fund.
In the words of Uwaji, “Virtually all the districts in Ndoni Kingdom are submerged. When I get back home, I feel bad because the flood does not know APC or PDP”.
The Speaker concluded that the House would not fail to do the needful, as he commended the governor for meeting up to the challenge of defending the state always.
He, however, called for urgent steps to salvage the situation, especially those being affected by the flooding.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State House of Assembly has screened two commissioner-nominees, Dr. Zacheaus Adango and Dr. Leloonu NwibuBasah, while committing the Rivers State College of Health Technology and Management Bill 2018 to committee stage.
Both Adango and NwibuBasah were grilled by some of the lawmakers as others sought that they be recongised and allowed to go based on their profiles.
However, after few questions, the commissioner-nominees were allowed to go, but NwibuBasah assured that he was poised to make meaningful contribution and bring his experience to bear in his new position.
Earlier, the House passed the Rivers State College of Health Technology and Management Bill 2018 for second reading, and thereafter, referred it to committee stage.
The bill, which was formally an Executive Bill, was only withdrawn and re-introduced as private member bill by Hon. Michael Chinda of Obio/Akpor Constituency earlier this year.
In his submission, Chinda said the bill was overdue considering the current state of affairs in the institution.
The Obio/Akpor 11 Constituency legislator said the school has over the years lost so much compared to other colleges of similar status, as both staff and students do not enjoy grants, scholarships and support from the Tertiary Education Fund (TEF).
If the bill is passed, Chinda maintained, the remuneration and staff welfare, including retirement benefits, would be upgraded.
The Speaker while commending the efforts of Chinda and other House members towards upgrading the school, relied on the House Order, as it committed the bill to Committee Stage.
In his ruling, Ibani directed that the House Committee on Education to conduct a public hearing within 14 working days, stressing that most part of the bill was on education.
The committee is expected to submit its report after the public hearing for more deliberations by the House.

Kevin Nengia & Idaminabo Shammah