…insist it’s an invitation to anarchy
The coalition of Opposition Lawmakers in the National Assembly has faulted the purported amendment of sections of the Law No. 5 of 2018 extending the tenure of elected Local Government chairmen in Rivers state by the Martin Amaehwule led House of Assembly.
Led by Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the lawmakers described the purported override of the Governor Similaye Fubara’s veto by the House of Assembly as a recipe for chaos and breakdown of law.
Ugochinyere who briefed reporters at the national Assembly complex in Abuja described the move as legislative rascality and a coup against democracy that is dead on arrival.
He contended that the plot was a deliberate invitation to anarchy and an inglorious attempt by the Rivers lawmakers to sabotage the Presidential Peace Accord.
The noted: “Assuming without conceding that the Rivers House of Assembly sent the law to the Governor, the Governor has 30 days within which to assent to the law or withhold his assent and it can only be at the expiration of the 30days that the House of Assembly can adjudge that the Governor has withheld assent and not earlier.
“Illegally extending the tenure of Local Government Chairmen just few weeks to the expiration of their tenure is an abuse of legislative process that cannot be enforced. It is the height of legislative rascality and a coup against democracy that is dead on arrival” he stated.
“These Rivers Assembly men are truly acting like people to do not hold the sacred mandate of the people. Otherwise, they should have known that this plot is a deliberate invitation to anarchy and an inglorious attempt to sabotage the Presidential Peace Accord. We hereby call on the President to call them to order to avert total breakdown of law and order in the State.”
“About two months ago, the same group of members with questionable mandate purported to have amended the same Local Government Law. Less than two months after, they are purporting to amend it again. They are now clearly playing Ping-Pong with Rivers State laws.
“How could the agenda of people who call themselves lawmakers in a state be to strip the Executive Governor of their state of all executive powers and they are comfortable with it? If they attach any value to the live of the people of Rivers State, they would support the Governor of Rivers State to succeed, for the benefit of the people rather than support anything that will undermine him and set him up for failure including instigating anarchy.”
“Every reasonable and right thinking citizen of Rivers state should rally round the Governor to ensure he succeeds and bring the dividends of democracy to the people. The rate the Martin Amaehwule led House of Assembly are moving and trying to ignite violence in Rivers State should tell the Police that these most likely the persons who set the House of Assembly Complex ablaze and because they got out of it, are now willing to set the entire state on fire.”
