There was a heavy security presence at the Rivers House of Assembly Quarters in Port Harcourt on Monday, where the state lawmakers are expected to have their sitting.
The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule released the notice of the sitting on Monday morning.
As of the time of filling this report, there are multiple squads of policemen and SSS operatives on the ground at the Assembly Quarters in the capital of the oil-rich Niger Delta State
While it is not yet clear what Monday’s plenary is about, there are strong indications that issues about the local government administration in Rivers State will top discussions.
The development comes days after the Supreme Court ordered Amaewhule and other lawmakers to resume sitting following months of a protracted battle for the soul of the Assembly.
Last week’s apex court judgement also nullified the Rivers State local government election, which was held last year. It also ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to withhold funds from the government of the oil-rich state until it purges itself of what the court describes as flagrant disobedience to court orders
Following the verdict, Governor Sim Fubara, in a state broadcast, ordered the conduct of fresh local government elections, assuring of his administration’s resolve to obey the Supreme Court verdict.
“Furthermore, given the outlawing of caretaker arrangements in the local government system, I hereby direct the Heads of Local Government Administration to immediately take over the administration of the 23 local government councils pending the conduct of fresh elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission,” Fubara said.
“I further direct the outgoing local government chairmen to formally hand over the levers of power to the Heads of Local Government Administration by Monday, 3rd March 2025.”
