Some lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly have criticized Governor Siminalayi Fubara‘s recent appointments, stating that they are unconstitutional.
The Assembly, during its 100th legislative sitting on Monday, January 29, specifically objected to the appointment of Goodlife Ben as the acting chairman of the Local Government Service Commission.
They also expressed disapproval of the appointments of Ine Briggs as the acting Director-General of the Bureau for Public Procurement and Tonte Davies as the acting Administrator of the New Cities Development Authority.
During the plenary, the House Majority Leader, Major Jack, brought attention to a state government circular that announced these appointments.
A statement signed by Martin Wachukwu, the special adviser to the speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, expressed the lawmakers’ unanimous displeasure over the appointments.
Members criticized the governor for violating the state’s laws.
The speaker, Martin Chike Amaewhule, condemned the governor’s decision to appoint an administrator for the New Cities Development Authority, as it is not recognized by any legislation.
Amaewhule also criticized the appointment of an acting chairman for the Local Government Service Commission and an acting Director-General for the Bureau for Public Procurement, as these appointments go against the establishment laws of the commission and the bureau.
The speaker questioned whether Fubara would intentionally break the existing laws and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, referring to such actions as misconduct.
It was reported that all the lawmakers voted against the governor’s actions and decided to send a letter to Fubara to inform him of the violations.
They determined that the governor should be made aware of Section 44(3) of the Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018 and Section 5(1) of the Rivers State Public Procurement Law No. 4 of 2008.
