THE House of Representatives special ad hoc committee overseeing the emergency rule in Rivers State has summoned the Aole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice admiral.
The House asked Ibas to appear before it on Thursday, April 17, 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 Rivers State since his assumption of office as Sole Administrator.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, April 16, by the House spokesman, Akintunde Rotimi, the meeting will serve as a forum for committee members to examine early reports and ongoing developments from the state.
According to the statement, the committee is set to thoroughly monitor the situation in Rivers, exercising its constitutional powers as granted by Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution.
It added that the 21-member committee, inaugurated by Speaker Abbas, aims to ensure legislative oversight in the state.
Chairman of the committee, Julius Ihonvbere, stressed that meeting with Ibas is vital to grasp the actual situation in the state.
He added that this will enable the House to make informed decisions while fulfilling its oversight duties, ultimately serving the Nigerian public interest.
The committee confirmed that a formal letter of invitation has been sent and acknowledged accordingly.
The ICIR reported that amid the political crisis that led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the entire 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 the move 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 emergency 21-man panel with representatives drawn from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Addressing the panel on Tuesday, April 15, 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 of the committee, with Ali Isah (PDP, Gombe) as deputy.
Other members include Idris Wase, Aliyu Muktar, Sada Soli, Iduma Igariwey, Shehu Rijau, Wole Oke, Akara Amadi, Patrick Umoh, Isa Anka, and James Faleke.
The ICIR reports that the House of Representatives and the Senate’s had 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.
They also tasked Tinubu to review or terminate the state of emergency at any time, but no later than six months from now.
A reporter with the ICIR
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