Barely 24 hours after the emergence of a factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Governor Siminalayi Fubara yesterday paid an unscheduled visit to the House of Assembly quarters located off Aba Road in Port Harcourt.
The development comes barely 72 hours after the governor described the Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule-led House as non-existent.
The Amaewhule-led House has been using the multi-purpose hall of the quarters as their sitting venue following the demolition of a section of the House of Assembly complex located along Moscow Road in Port Harcourt late last year.
Speaking to newsmen, Fubara explained that his visit to the residential quarters of the State House of Assembly was to undertake an on-the-spot assessment of condition of the structures for a possible rehabilitation work to restore its status and make it liveable.
The governor said: “Is the Assembly quarters not part of my property? Is there anything wrong in going to check how things are going on there?
“You are aware of the developments. We have a new speaker, and I went there to see for myself how things are. There might be a few things I might want to do there for the good of our people.”
The governor had earlier paid an inspection visit to the ongoing Emohua-Kalabari Road project, which is one of the projects earmarked for commissioning to mark his administration’s one year in office.
Commenting on the road project, he said he was assessing the extent of job that had been done to know what else was needed in preparing the road for commissioning during his one year anniversary.
Fubara said, “As a matter of fact, we added this section of the road as one of the projects we will be commissioning. So, I needed to see it myself, and what is remaining is just the lighting. By the grace of God, we will commission it.”
The governor stated that the road project was inherited from the immediate past administration but a greater chunk of the cost was borne by his administration.
He said: “We feel justified to add it as our project and to commission it for the good of our people here. Governance is all about the people. When the people are out of the centre of governance, then it is no longer governance.
“So, this road, as we all now know, was in a very bad state. A lot of criminal activities were being carried out here: kidnapping and all sorts of things. So, putting this road in order is appropriate.
“You can see the little man-hour we spent coming here. Before, it took you 30 to 45 minutes to drive from Emohua to this place, but look at it, less than 15 minutes we are here.
“So, it is about the people, the good of the people, making life easy for the people. That is the way I see governance. Anything outside that has nothing to do with me.”
Pro-Wike Legislators Fret, Say Governor Plotting Another Demolition
Meanwhile, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, have expressed discontent over the unscheduled visit of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to the House of Assembly quarters.
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, said Fubara’s visit may not be unconnected with his plot to demolish the quarters just as he demolished the House of Assembly complex.
Amaewhule said: “Rivers people were stunned this afternoon when they got the information that the governor of Rivers State stormed the Rivers State House of Assembly quarters. It is yet another attempt to demolish the Rivers State House of Assembly quarters the same way he demolished the Rivers State House of Assembly complex.
“Nigerians and Rivers people have been watching events day-by-day as our own governor, who is supposed to uphold the Constitution, is gradually sliding into the position of chief law breaker of Nigeria. Our governor demolished the House of Assembly complex and plans are on the way, as we can see, to demolish the Rivers State House of Assembly quarters.”
According to the Speaker, the quarters, built by the past administration of Nyesom Wike and commissioned in year 2022, is one of the best in the country.
He said, “There is nothing wrong with any of the buildings; all the buildings are in perfect condition, our hall is in perfect condition. We have no issues and we have not called the governor for any kind of help. The Rivers State House of Assembly quarters was built for the Rivers State House of Assembly and not for the executive arm of government.
“The undue interference of the governor is unbecoming of a sitting governor, who is supposed to uphold the sanctity of the law. We are disappointed. We are ashamed to have a governor who has no respect for our constitution, who has no respect for our laws, who has no respect for democracy. Day-by-day, the governor executes actions that are against democracy.”