Stop impeachment, make people-oriented laws, activities tell Rivers Assembly

Stakeholders in Rivers State have called on the Martin Amaewhule‑led State House of Assembly to “use its remaining legislative days to introduce development-focused and people‑oriented laws.”

This followed growing frustration over what has been described as the “slow pace” of governance in the State, amid a worsening environmental and rental crisis.

Youths and civil society actors used the nationwide protest against insecurity on Saturday, June 12, as a platform to ventilate frustration over governance in the State, alleging that Governor Siminalayi Fubara had been hamstrung from performing his constitutional duties.

Charles Jaja, Rights Activist, in an interview with newsmen on Monday, said the Rivers Assembly should use the time available to its current members to introduce legislation capable of improving the welfare of the people, rather than “focusing on impeachment.”

He said the current State Assembly had made the least impact on the people compared with previous Assemblies.

Jaja said, “While other states are considering measures to address the rise in rent and protect tenants, the Rivers State Assembly is yet to enact laws that would help the welfare of Rivers people.

“I think this current crop of Assembly members are the worst in the history of Rivers State. We have not seen them make an impact on the people’s welfare and lives.

“While the Assembly in Lagos State is busy drafting laws to stop landlords from breaching residents’ rights — including treacherous rent practices — the Rivers House of Assembly has no law in place for tenants.

“All we hear from them are threats of impeachment against Fubara. It’s the kind of politics that puts zero food on the table and does no good for anyone in the state,” he said.

Jaja urged Amaewhule, Speaker of the State Assembly, and other members to demonstrate genuine representation by prioritising laws and policies that promote the welfare and development of Rivers people.

He said, “I want to ask the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, and his colleagues to use the remaining days of their time in office to prove to Rivers people that they ought to be representatives of the people and not play the godfather game, because it is not benefiting any Rivers man.

“We have not seen what they have been able to achieve in their time, so it’s unfortunate that we have representatives who are doing nothing to improve the welfare of the people,” he said.

June 12 protesters recently condemned what they described as the political strangulation of Rivers State, alleging that governance was almost grinding to a halt.

They accused Abuja-based Rivers politicians of hamstringing Siminalayi Fubara from effectively governing, noting that the governor should be allowed to perform his constitutional role “for the one year he has left.”

Enefaa Georgewill, National Organising Secretary of the Take It Back Movement, stressed that all sectors in the State — including education — are feeling the impact of the alleged slowdown in governance.

He said, “Specifically regarding Rivers State, we maintain that the continuous political strangulation of the state — where there is movement without progress, and where the president, through his agent the FCT minister, controls what happens in Rivers — must stop.”