THE House of Representatives has rescheduled its meeting with Rivers State Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice admiral.
Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Akin Rotimi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, April 17.
He said the 21-member Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State Oversight received a formal request from Ibas to reschedule the meeting initially set for today, April 17, at 4:00 PM.
“The committee has acknowledged the request and is in the process of coordinating a new date for the session and will, in the spirit of transparent and effective oversight, promptly inform the public once the rescheduled date is confirmed,” Rotimi stated.
The ICIR reported that the House of Representatives special ad hoc committee overseeing the emergency rule in Rivers State summoned Ibas to appear before it on Thursday, at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The committee, formed by the Speaker on Tuesday, April 15, met for the first time on Wednesday, April 16, and decided to invite Ibas to provide a detailed briefing on the situation in the state since his assumption of office as sole administrator.
In a statement on Wednesday, the House spokesperson said the meeting would serve as a forum for committee members to examine early reports and ongoing developments in the state.
The statement noted that the committee aimed to ensure legislative oversight in the state.
Chairman of the committee, Julius Ihonvbere, stressed that meeting with Ibas was vital to have proper understanding of situation in the state.
He added that the meeting would enable the House to make informed decisions while fulfilling its oversight duties.
The ICIR reported that amid the political crisis that led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the Rivers State House of Assembly, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas, inaugurated an ad hoc committee to take over legislative functions in the state.
The inauguration, held at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Tuesday, April 15, followed President Tinubu’s March 18 proclamation of a state of emergency in the troubled state.
Tinubu, in his nationwide broadcast, invoked Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to justify his decision and appointed Ibas as sole administrator.
The president cited prolonged political instability in the state as the reason for his decision, vowing to restore governance, peace, and security to the oil-rich state.
To fill the legislative vacuum, the Speaker constituted the 21-man panel with representatives drawn from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Addressing the panel, Abbas urged members to put aside partisan interests and focus on ensuring peace, governance, and stability in Rivers State.
The committee has Ihonvbere as chairman, and Ali Isah (PDP, Gombe) as deputy.
The ICIR reports that the House of Representatives and the Senate both passed resolutions endorsing Tinubu’s emergency declaration.
During a plenary on March 20, lawmakers gave their backing via a voice vote after the president formally informed the National Assembly of his decision.
The lawmakers further agreed to authorise the formation of an ad hoc committee, with members from both chambers of the National Assembly, to oversee the situation in the state.
A reporter with the ICIR
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