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Rivers Assembly Crisis: Court Orders Parties To Maintain Status Quo
As the political crisis rocking the Rivers State House of Assembly deepens, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, January 22, ordered all the parties to maintain status quo.
The court, in a ruling that was delivered by Justice J. O. Abdulmalik, directed the parties not to take further steps, pending the determination of an application that is seeking to stop Governor Siminilaya Fubara from re-presenting the already passed N800billion 2024 budget of the state before the legislative house.
Justice Abdulmalik fixed February 28 to hear the application which was brought before the court by six elders of the state.
The plaintiffs in the matter, led by a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly representing Bonny State Constituency, Hon. Victor Okon Jumbo, are; Senator Bennett Birabi, Senator Andrew Uchendu, Rear Admiral O.P. Fingesi, Ann Kio Briggs and Emmanuel Deinma.
They had through their team of lawyers led by Mr. Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, approached the court, praying it to declare seats of 27 lawmakers in the state that defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, vacant.
In a 19-paragraph affidavit that was deposed to by the 6th Plaintiff, Deinma, who identified himself as an indigene of Rivers State from Okrika Local Government Area, the court was told that sometime in November, 2023, 27 out of 32 members of the Rivers State Assembly, “without any justification or lawful excuse whatsoever, decided to defect from the PDP, being the platform under which they were elected.”
According to the deponent: “On the basis of the above fact, the said 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly moved out of the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex and began to hold their proceedings at a different location.
“That it became an obvious fact that the 27 members of the Rivers State House Assembly are fully loyal to the former Governor of Rivers State, Chief Ezenwo Nyesom Wike (now the Hon, Minister of F.C.T.), while they are disloyal to the current Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Siminilaya Fubara.
“That only five (5) Honourable members of the Rivers State House of Assembly remained with the PDP, as they did not defect/decamp to the APC but remained as members of the PDP and as valid members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“The said remaining five (5) Honourable members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who did not defect/decamp to the APC, headed by Hon. Mr. Edison Ehie on the 30th of November, 2023, declared the seats of the said 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly vacant for decamping/defecting from the political party platform, PDP, under which they were elected as Honourable members of Rivers State House Assembly.
“That upon declaring the seats of the said 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly vacant, the said Mr. Edison Ehie (who now became the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly) immediately sent a Notice via a Letter to the 5th Defendant, wherein he informed him of the vacancy in the 27 seats of the Rivers State House of Assembly and requested that he should conduct a bye-election to fill the said 27 vacant seats.
“That the aforesaid development resulted in several law suits on both sides (which are the said 27 members who defected to another political party and the five [5] members who remained valid members of the Rivers State House of Assembly) in a bid to exercise superiority over one another.
“While the whole issues/disputes were ongoing, sometime in December, 2023, the Executive Governor of Rivers State (Mr. Sim Fubara) presented the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the five (5) member House of Assembly headed by the said Mr. Edison Ehie,” the deponent averred.
More so, the plaintiffs queried the constitutionality of a peace agreement they alleged that President Bola Tinubu compelled Governor Fubara to enter into with the immediate past governor of the state and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.
They maintained that the said agreement that was signed on December 18, 2023, was not only illegal, but amounted to an usurpation, nullification and undermining of the extant/binding relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Consequently, they are praying the court to, among other things, determine whether President Tinubu, Fubara and the Rivers State Assembly, have the rights and are entitled to enter into any agreement that has the effect of nullifying or undermining the constitutional/legal potency of the provisions of Section 109 (I) (g) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
They contended that neither President Tinubu nor governor Fubara has the statutory powers to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from conducting fresh election to replace the 27 Rivers State lawmakers that defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Aside from President Tinubu, who was cted as the 1st Defendant in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1718/2023, other Defendants in the matter, are; the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, governor Fubara, Rivers Assembly, Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly and the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
Meanwhile, Justice Abdulmalik ordered substituted service of the court processes on the defendants, stressing that in view of circumstances sorounding the case, they should be put on notice to enable them to respond to the ex-parte motion the plaintiffs filed to stop the re-presentation of the Rivers State budget to the pro-Wike lawmakers that decamped to the APC.
The Rumuokania 2 New layout Landlords Association in the Obio/Akpor local government area of Rivers State is seeking the intervention of the Rivers State Government in the desilting of the canal which transverses several communities including Mgbaraja,Ogbogoro,Egbule,Elioparanwo,Ozuoba and other communities in the area.
The Association which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt also lauded Governor Siminalayi Fubara for the construction of the Rumuoke/pipeline internal roads.
The landlords said the canal impede the free flow of water from the affected communities thereby causing severe flooding whenever it rains in the area.The Association also commended the governor for the ongoing construction and rehabilitation of road across the state, adding, the gesture has not only rekindled hope of Rivers people for a better tomorrow,but has bought prosperity across communities in the state.According to a Press release made available to news men during the briefing,”We are gathered here today to express immense appreciation to His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State,Sir Fubara, GSSRS,for the construction of the Rumuoke/pipeline Internal roads.“We also wish to use this medium to request the desilting of the Canal transversing the area and the construction of adjoining roads to the area.“We acknowledge with profound gratitude the transformative governance going on in Rivers State under the purposely and impactful leadership of Governor Fubara.“The visible impact of his administration across all sectors, particularly the rehabilitation and construction of new roads,has rekindled hope among the people and brought prosperity to our communities”The Association said.The landlords particularly praised the Governor for the successful completion of the Rumuoke Road from Okilton junction off Ada George Road to Road 9-2nd & 3rd Avenue, Road 10-2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue, and Pipeline Road upto the canal, expertly executed by Monier Construction Company (MCC).They noted that,prior to the intervention of the Governor,the road was in an extremely deplorable state, impassable, and prone to flash floods whenever it rains.“Most houses and business premises were often flooded as people could hardly leave or access the area,while economic activities were completely paralyzed.“The newly constructed internal roads have completely eased traffic in the area, boosted economic activities, and improved the quality of life of residents of Rumuokania and Rumuoke communities”The release which was jointly signed by pastor Joel Gbandi, chairman of The Association and Lucky Ashley Atiegoba secretary,on behalf of the Landlords also expressed gratitude to the Governor for the construction of all internal roads in the area..It however drew the , attention of the Governor to an emerging issue which they said poses threat to the durability of this critical road infrastructure.According to the landlords,”at the terminus of the newly constructed pipeline road, the adjoining canal is severely blocked, impeding the free flow of water .“The canal serves as a vital waterway, traversing several communities, including Rumuokania, Mgbraja, Ogbogoro, Egbelu, Elioparanwo, Mini-Orlu, Rumue-vorlu, Rumuokwachi, Ozuoba, Iwofe, Rumuolumeni, Rumuepirikom, and Mini-kete, among other communities.“This obstruction has caused water to back up onto the surface of the newly constructed road, leading to accelerated erosion and hazardous conditions for surrounding buildings, motorists, and pedestrians alike within RumuokaniaRumuoke communities.“It is against this backdrop that we respectfully request the kind intervention of our dear Governor in this regard:” We humbly request the desilting of the canal to restore proper drainage and prevent water overflowonto the newly constructed internal roads and flooding within the communities.“. We also request the construction of adjoining roads to the area to provide alternative pathways and improve overall accessibility in the area.“Addressing these germane concerns will not only safeguard the investment of the state government in road infrastructure in the area but will also mitigate flooding, enhance safety, and further elevate the living standards of residents of Rumuokania and Rumuoke communities”the landlords said.
Judges of the High Courts of Rivers State will proceed on this year’s Christmas and New Year vacations on Tuesday, 23rd December 2025.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Registrar, State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi, on behalf of the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Chibuzor Amadi, and made available to newsmen over the weekend.
The statement stated that judges will commence the yuletide vacation from Tuesday, 23rd of December 2025, and resume on Monday, January 12, 2026.
According to the statement, the directive is in compliance with the provision of Order 49 Rule 4(C) of the High Court of Rivers State Civil Procedure Rule, 2023.
The statement added that during the period of the vacation, all judicial divisions of the High Court of the State shall remain closed, while a vacation judge shall be designated to entertain only urgent applications and matters filed during the vacation.
By: Akujobi Amadi
Land grabbing and crisis of fraudulent land sales may soon be a thing of the past as Rivers State begins experimenting the community land development committee system.
The experiment saw the light of day in Alesa Eleme where the Alesa Land Development Commiittee (ALDEC) was inaugurated last Friday by the paramount ruler of Alesa, Emperor J.D. Mkpe.
The Alesa community where the Port Harcourt refineries are situated has implemented the recommended formula with the strong support of the paramount ruler said to be a respected leader known for his commitment to peace, education, community development, and support for law enforcement, often advocating for better infrastructure and governance in his area.
Inaugurating the committee headed by a businessman, Mr. Emmanuel Olaka, the paramount ruler recounted the contributions of his community to economic development of the nation.
“Alesa is one of the 10 communities in Eleme and we are the first community in Nigeria that has refineries. The Port Harcourt Refinery (1&2) that has a lot of pipelines surrounding us. We have done a lot of contribution in making sure Nigeria stands great among all nations.
“We are made up of about 13 communities due to expansion. When I say 13 communities, Alesa is a community that has embraced other people. You can see here some people from the northern community. All the communities are here. That is why Alesa is known as a cosmopolitan community.
“Because we have got a lot of information about sale of land, and because we now have a situation whereby other persons will go into another person’s land and sell without the owner’s notice. We have also got information about minors who are not qualified to sell landed property, now selling land without letting their elders know.
“And that is why today, we are going to inaugurate a land development committee whose duty is to see into all these issues and bring up report about them. This will make both buyers and sellers feel very free in Alesa.
“We seize this opportunity to warn thus: if you sell any land to anybody without this committee’s knowledge or consent, you are doing it at your own risk. If you are buying any land from Alesa, this committee will know. By this, we will track those selling the land to you so that you don’t buy land from a wrong person. We also do not want you to buy land from an under-aged persons (children) who will sell land and run away.
According to him, we are also partnering with the Rivers State government on the project because those who buy land in Alesa with due process would be backed all the way to acquisition of certificate of occupancy (CofO).
“We are duly registered and we hereby show the world our certificate of registration and recognition. This is not a shabby arrangement. We have the registration and the authority which we have here as a body approved by the government to go into this development. This also is the registered constitution of the body.
“We will also make sure that whatever land you buy here, will be registered with the government of Rivers State through the office of the Surveyor-General and the Ministry of Land and that of Housing. This is to permanently stop land grabbers,
“We want you to buy and develop, not to keep for decades. Failure to develop your land after five years, the land will be forfeited to the government of Rivers State as a ‘waste land’ that you do not want to develop. So we are here not to maltreat any individual, we are not here to punish anyone, but to make sure your money is safe.
“We are optimistic that this strategy will work for us all. One of the greatest persons who has been able to identify with us is the Mayor of Housing. He has been friendly to us and to our aspirations.
Speaking immediately after the inauguration, the chairman of Alesa Land Development Committee, Mr. Emmanuel Olaka, vowed never to betray his community.
“I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the Alesa Council of Chiefs, the women, the youths, for nominating me to be the chairman of the Alesa Land Development Committee. I want to say this afternoon that I, Emmanuel Olaka, a bonafide son of Alaka, from Uwueke community, I will never disrespect this community. I will always do what is right, so that my God will always stand by me. I will not be biased.”
Also speaking, the Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, who is behind the Alesa Sustainable Green Smart City, commended the community for leading the way and the war against land grabbing and land fraud.
He said the development would augur well for the green city being initiated in the area and other projects coming to Alesa.
He urged other communities in Rivers State and beyond to move fast and inaugurate such committees to put an end to land grabbing.
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