Worried by the continuous closure of the Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA), an ex-militant, Sobomabo Jackrich, alias Egberipapa has filed a suit before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, the Nigeria Capital City against the National Assembly.
Other plaintiffs that joined the dreaded repentant Niger Delta Militant are: Boma Goodhead, the younger sister to Alhaji Maujahid Asari-Dokubo, the leader of the Niger Delta People Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Network For Defence of Democracy And Good Governance and Kegema Unity Forum.
Egberipapa in a Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/559/2013 prayed the court to declare the purported taken over of the functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly by the National Assembly as null and void.
The ex-militant who sought the declaration through his counsel, Tubotamuno A. Dick Esq noted that the National Assembly has no locus standi to interfere with the functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
He said that, “The Rivers State House of Assembly has been carrying on its normal businesses albeit amidst internal political wrangling which are normal to such Assembly, until Tuesday the 9th of July, 2013, when the House of Assembly, having formed quorum, impeached the speaker, Otelemaba Amachree, and elected Evans Bipi as the new speaker”.
According to the counsel, when the new speaker, Evans Bipi was about to give his inaugural speech that the Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi was called by another Assembly member, Irene Inimgba to come and save the House leadership from impeachment.
T.A. Dick Esq alleged that the attack on a member of the House of Assembly, Hon. Michael Chinda was part of the ploy by the Governor, his Chief Security Officer and Aide-de-camp in active connivance with the deposed leadership of the House of Assembly led by Chidi Lloyd to foist a seeming situation of inability of the RSHA to sit so as to enable their cronies in the National Assembly to take over the functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly and take oversight scrutiny of the expenditure of the executive arm far away to the already over burdened lawmakers in Abuja so as to have a field day in misappropriating Rivers State resources.
The counsel alleged that, the Senate Committee report on taking over the functions of the RSHA was influenced by Senators Magnus Abe and Wilson Ake (non-members of the committee).
He said that the taking over of the activities of the RSHA would not only serve the selfish interest of the governor and the initiators of the attack on the floor of the RSHA, but it would negatively affect the administration of the state.
Egberipapa submitted that if the purported taking over of the functions of the RSHA by the National Assembly is not restrained by the court, the good people of the state would suffer and their resources would be carted away by the enemies of the state. ###
