…as effort to rebuild razed Rivers Assembly complex was left incomplete under the administration of Ibok-Ete Ibas.
PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA – The iNews Times | The Rivers State House of Assembly has officially resumed plenary sessions following the expiration of a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The lawmakers reconvened on Thursday, September 18, just one day after President Tinubu lifted the emergency rule. The directive also instructed Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Assembly to resume their official duties without further delay.
The plenary session, presided over by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, took place at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt. The venue has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official complex on Moscow Road was set ablaze in the heat of the political crisis and later demolished by the state government.
The effort to rebuild the razed Assembly complex was left incomplete under the administration of Ibok-Ete Ibas, who served as the sole administrator of the state during the emergency period.
Recall that President Tinubu had on March 18 declared emergency rule in the oil-rich state, following a bitter and protracted rift between Governor Fubara and his estranged political benefactor, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The crisis had paralyzed legislative activities and sparked fears of a full-blown constitutional breakdown in the state, prompting the Presidency to impose direct federal control over key government institutions in Rivers.
With the lifting of the emergency and resumption of legislative functions, political watchers are closely observing how the Amaewhule-led Assembly and the Fubara administration will navigate the delicate path toward reconciliation and governance.
Further developments from the resumed plenary are expected in the coming days.
