By EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

PORT HARCOURT—AS activities commence today for the funeral of former Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Tonye Harry, who died last month, his colleagues in the House will pay their last respects without the usual valedictory session at the House in his honour.

Speaker of the state House of Assembly and Chairman of the Tonye Harry Burial Committee, Otelemaba Dan Amachree, who unveiled the funeral programme, yesterday, said that the House was constrained from formally holding the valedictory session because of the takeover of its functions by the National Assembly, following the crisis in the House.

Amachree, who expressed the shock of the House  over the sudden death of Tonye Harry, Speaker of the 6th Assembly and member of the current House, said: “We do not want to undermine the law. You know that the National Assembly has taken over the functions of the House. So, we may not have a valedictory session, but a Night of Tributes for the former Speaker on Friday.”

The Port Harcourt Club, where the late Tonye Harry was an active member, will, however, hold a tennis tournament in his honour as the funeral activities commence today.

Other activities lined up include a novelty football match, candle light procession and service of songs before Saturday’s funeral service and interment at Obuama, his home town, in Degema Local Government Area, which he had represented since 1999 in the Rivers Assembly before his sudden death last month.