The Rivers State House of Assembly on Friday voted to override Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s veto, thus passing four controversial new bills into law.
The latest development which may plunge the state into a fresh round of political crisis took place during a plenary session at the House of Assembly Quarters.
The session followed after the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, read four letters from the governor in which he declined to assent to the four new bills previously sent to him.
The House, citing Section 100 subsection 5 of the Constitution, asserted that the governor’s assent is not required for these bills to become law.
The section states that “where the Governor withholds assent and the bill is again passed by a two-thirds majority, the bill shall become law and the assent of the Governor shall not be required.”
During the session, the Speaker criticized the governor for his apparent lack of plans to conduct local government elections in the state.
He said, “By the reasons given by the Governor, it means he doesn’t plan to conduct local government elections in the state,” adding that “the key thing here is that this law removes the power of the Governor to appoint Caretaker Committee Chairmen for the Local Governments. The Governor is not happy that we’re removing his powers to appoint caretaker chairmen.”
The four laws passed by the House include: The Rivers Local Government Amendment Law; The Rivers State Traditional Rulers Amendment Law; The Rivers State Advertisement and Use of State-Owned Property Prohibition Repeal Law; and The Rivers State Funds Management and Financial Autonomy Law.
