*Lawmakers were right — Attorney General
*They were wrong —House Chief Whip

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME
IT was the first time in the political history of Rivers State that the state House of Assembly would convene in Government House, Port Harcourt. Well, there is always a first time, somebody once said.
Governor Chibuike Amaechi on Tuesday presented a budget estimate of N485.5 billion  before 23 lawmakers of the state House of Assembly at the old auditorium of Government House, Port Harcourt.

Reactions have continued to trail the development. Some have described the action as a product of  doctrine of necessity, arguing that Rivers legislators must discharge their legislative functions even if the House of Assembly complex is under lock and key.

The House of Assembly complex has been under lock and key  since after a fracas by the lawmakers in the hallowed chambers of the House on July 9 last year. The lawmakers had been enmeshed in factional crisis.
Computer desktops and other valuables in the chamber were destroyed in the fracas. One of the lawmakers allegedly broke a mace on the head of his colleague during the crisis. It was literally lawlessness on  four legs in the House that day.

One of the factions  in the crisis  later claimed to have impeached the Speaker of the House, Hon Otelemaba Amachree, and elected Hon Evans Bipi representing Ogu Bolo constituency in his place, an action the other faction maintained never occurred. Meantime, Bipi has continued to insist there was an impeachment and that was how he became Speaker.

The factional crisis has made it impossible for the lawmakers to resume legislative functions in the House of Assembly complex on Moscow Road. At a time, the National Assembly had to take over the functions of the state House of Assembly. But on  December 11, last year, an Abuja High Court  handed  Assembly back to the state lawmakers. Meanwhile, efforts by the two factions to access the Assembly complex have been futile as the police sealed up the place.

The state Police Commissioner, Mr Joseph Mbu, said lawmakers would only be allowed into the complex to resume duties after presentation of a certified true copy of the Abuja High Court judgement. He told newsmen in Port Harcourt that he had not seen a copy of the judgement.
This was the situation when the 23 lawmakers converged in  Government House, Port Harcourt  on Tuesday  for Amaechi to present the 2014 Appropriation Bill which  they  later passed same day and forwarded to the governor for his assent.

Before the lawmakers commenced sitting that day, the Deputy Leader of the House, Hon Robinson  Ewoh, moved a motion that the old auditorium of Government House be used for the meantime by them for their functions pending when repairs would have been done on the hallowed chambers of the House of Assembly complex on Moscow Road.  He said during the fracas of  July 9 last year on the floor of the House, equipment and other valuables in the chambers were destroyed, adding that the police had also sealed off the place, thus making it impossible for the business of lawmaking to hold in the chambers.

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State

Neccessity
He said the lawmakers had found it an act of necessity and in the interest of the state to resume their functions temporarily at the old auditorium of Government House until when the executive arm of government would refurbish the state House of Assembly complex.  The member representing PHALGA    constituency II, Mrs Irene Inimgba, seconded the motion.

While adopting the motion, the Speaker, Hon Amachree, also cited insecurity as one of the reasons why the House should temporarily hold its functions at the old auditorium of Government House, adding that the lawmakers would relocate to the complex after repair work had been completed.  According to the him, the bombing of a High Court in Ahoada East local government area and Okehi in Etche local government on Monday were signs of the challenges of insecurity in the state.

Amaechi, who signed the bill into law  the following day, lauded the lawmakers for being on the side of the people, adding that they had  resisted attempt by those he called enemies of the state to frustrate them  from discharging their legislative duties.
He further described the state Commissioner of Police, Mbu, as “a known politician of the PDP”, saying he was among those that wanted to stop the state lawmakers from performing their legislative functions.

‘Illegality’
In a related development, the Chief Whip of the House, Hon Ibani Ikunyi, has  faulted the presentation of the budget to the lawmakers in Government House, adding that the governor encouraged the act because he desperately needed money to fund his new  party, APC,  in the state.

Ikunyi, who is one of the anti-Amaechi lawmakers, advised banks and other financial institutions not to fund the budget, adding that his faction of  the House would challenge the action of his colleagues legally.  “The essence of what was done was to borrow money to fund the APC. They want an instrument to go to financial institutions. But the financial institutions should not honour this budget. “

“Does it mean I can now convene a sitting of the House in my toilet “, he queried. According to him, a budget process  is supposed to pass through first  reading, second reading, committee stage, committee of the whole  House. “What committee looked at the budget? The stages the budget will pass through will tell where revenues are to come from to fund the budget. I hear some say the lawmakers suspended the House rules. But it is clear that you cannot suspend the standing order of the House outside the chamber of the House”, he said.

On his part, the state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr Worgu Boms, said what the lawmakers did was constitutional. “The lawmakers are very conscious of their responsibility to the state.  I commend them”. He said they could also wave some of their House rules to carry out their functions.

The Felix Obuah faction of the Peoples Democratic described the presentation of the bill by the governor before the lawmakers and its subsequent passage by the latter as criminal.  Chairman of the party, Mr Felix Obuah said the actions of the lawmakers and the governor was nothing short of impunity, adding that they destroyed the tenets of popular democracy.

The statement further described the governor and the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon leyii Kwane as enemies of democracy and the state who should appologise to the people.
They owe Rivers people and indeed Nigerians an apology.
They are real messengers of darkness, enemies of democracy and Rivers people.
Governor Rotimi Amaechi has set false foundation in motion. “” the statement said.

The governor’s new party, the All Progressive congress lauded his action and that of the law makers, saying it was a reflection of the doctrine of necessity.
“This is another demonstration of the doctrine of necessity for which the lawmakers should be commended. While we look forward to the reopening of the Assembly Complex presently under siege, it would be wrong to bring governance to a halt because, in the final analysis, it is the masses who will suffer for it and not Governor Amaechi as an individual,” Ikanya stated.

A political observer in the state, Comrade Wilfred Abas said  what happened on Tuesday in Government House, Port Harcourt was a clear example of total hijack of the legislative arm of government by the executive, adding that the legislators on their part had shown convincingly that they were aides of the governor.