Following the conclusion of the six-month state of emergency, the Rivers State House of Assembly has resumed its legislative duties.
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday ended the emergency rule and directed all state officials, including Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the legislators, to return to work today.
The session on Thursday was led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule and took place at the legislative quarters’ conference hall in Port Harcourt.
This space is currently serving as a provisional meeting place for the lawmakers since the original assembly complex on Moscow Road was destroyed after a fire and subsequent demolition by the state government.
In a related development, the assembly has decided to launch an investigation into the state’s financial records from the six-month period when Ibok-Ete Ibas served as the sole administrator.
Also see: Obi To Rivers Stakeholders: Embrace Peace, Learn From Emergency Rule
The Rivers State Assembly reconvened in session following President Tinubu’s announcement to lift the state of emergency, thereby restoring the state’s democratic dispensation to full functionality.
During the sitting, the lawmakers formally requested Governor Fubara to present a detailed list of his nominees for commissioner positions, pending legislative confirmation.
The state of emergency was declared by Tinubu on March 18 in response to a long-standing political conflict between Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
