Amidst the political crisis in Rivers state the Minority leader of the House of representatives, Kingsley Chinda has warned the governor of the state, Simi Fubara to perish the thought of demolishing the state house of assembly.
Chinda made the call following the recent confrontation between the governor and some members of the state house of assembly.
27 members of the assembly supporting a former governor of the state, Nyesom Wike are currently on supremacy battle with the governor following threat by the lawmakers to impeach him over failure to implement the 2024 budget passed by the assembly.
The confrontation is the latest in the political crisis that has rocked the oil rich state, after Governor Fubara parted ways with Wike, on whose wings he rode to power last year.
Thus, following Governor Fubara’s visit to the assembly quarters last week, after some members loyal to him elected a new Speaker, not a few have suggested that the governor was planning to demolish the quarters which currently houses the 27 lawmakers loyal to his predecessor.
The governor had hinted of “a possible rehabilitation work to restore its (assembly) status and make it liveable,” when he visited the quarters last Thursday.
While leading some former lawmakers to the assembly on Sunday, Chinda said the governor has no reason to demolish the structure which he described as one of the best in the continent, adding that the integrity test conducted on the quarters indicate that it can still last for over 25 years.
The assembly had just been built two years ago by former Governor Wike, he said.
According to him, the National Assembly is considering wading into the crisis between the governor and the members of the assembly anytime from now.
The NASS “cannot continue to fold our hands and watch our state fly,” the Minority leader said.
He said: “The assembly complex that was brought down some leaders of the state went to the USA to get that design. When it was built, it was the best state assembly in this country. That structure is nowhere today.
“However, as members of the National Assembly from Rivers State, we have joined the leaders and elders of the state to discuss the issues happening in our state the latest being the threat to bring down the structures in this premises.
“We have commissioned engineers and experts to study and give us the report of the integrity of these structures. We have received the report. And the report says these structures have a lifespan of nothing less than 25 years.
“We have on our own come out to physically inspect the structures to crosscheck it with the report we received and these structures are still strong and healthy. Our apartments in the National Assembly are not better than what we have seen here.
“We should be proud that our state assembly occupies this quarters. It is easier to destroy than to build. The one we have destroyed have we made any move to rebuild it? Let us know that public officers should be living examples in society both in character and in conduct. Let us also caution that you must govern in line with the rule of law.
“We want to advise the governor to bridle a little bit at the exuberance that we had seen within this period. It doesn’t portend well to our state.”
“We members of the National Assembly have not spoken. We have observed. But we cannot continue to fold our hands and watch our state fly. We are coming out and we will take a position without looking at anybody.
“It will be a position that will be in the interests of the state. No one individual is larger than Rivers State. We are members, leaders and elders of Rivers and this state we must protect,” Chunda said.
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
