Rivers Lawmakers Drag SSG To EFCC As Fubara Claims He Hasn't Receive Impeachment Impeachment Notice The Rivers State government has downplayed the impeachment move against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, insisting that there is no formal communication from the state House of Assembly regarding allegations of gross misconduct.
The assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule and reigned by 27 pro-Wike lawmakers, issued a notice dated March 14, outlining allegations against Fubara and Odu. The letter, signed by 26 lawmakers, implicated the governor of reckless expenditure, blocking the assembly, and making appointments without legislative approval, amidst other claims.
On Monday, Speaker Amaewhule declared the formal transmission of the notice to the governor and his deputy, citing Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates that impeachment allegations be signed by at least one-third of house members. He further directed Fubara and Odu to respond to the allegations within the stipulated period of 14 days.
However, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Barrister Joseph Johnson, turned down the move, announcing that the letter was not addressed to the governor.
Speaking at the press briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday, he chided the assembly for hindering Fubara’s efforts to implement the Supreme Court’s recent judgment on the state’s prolonged political invasion.
Johnson superposed that the assembly’s actions were worsening the calamity encountered by civil servants and pensioners due to the seized state allocation.
He noted that Fubara had protested his commitment to obeying the court’s decision by directing local government chairmen to hand over to their administrative heads. The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) had further scheduled fresh elections for August 9, 2025, in compliance with the governing.
The Round Table reveals that this is the second impeachment attempt against the governor. The leading attempt to impeach Governor Fubara happened on October 30, 2023. During this period, 24 members of the assembly initiated impeachment proceedings against the governor, leading to significant clash, containing the burning of sections of the assembly complex and the eventual demolition of the complex. Governor Fubara suggested he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt involving police gunfire during these events.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the assembly has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Tammy Danagogo, over allegations of extra-budgetary spending. The lawmakers further summoned the EFCC to inspect financial misconduct allegedly linked to Danagogo.
Their move chases allegations by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who implicated the SSG of engineering the state’s political rumble, containing securing a court order barring Fubara from recognising the lawmakers.
Category: World-News
Tag: Rivers Lawmakers Drag SSG To EFCC As Fubara Claims He Hasnt Receive Impeachment Impeachment Notice
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Published 3/18/2025