With about sixteen days to the end of the present administration in Rivers State, trouble appears to be brewing between Governor Chibuike Amaechi and the state House of Assembly over the state of the economy of the state.
The lawmakers, who are the governor’s loyalists, suspended three local government caretaker committee chairmen over the state of insecurity in their council areas and also summoned nine commissioners and other officers of the state ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) over alleged financial misappropriations.
The suspended caretaker committee chairmen include Ojukaye Flag-Amachree of Asari-Toru, Cassidy Ikegbidi of Ahoada East and Derick Mene of Khana local government areas of the state.
The commissioners summoned to appear before the assembly today include those of the ministries of finance, agriculture, power, health, tourism, information, budget, works and transport.
Other heads of MDAs summoned include the state Accountant General, chairman of the state Board of Internal Revenue, chairman of the state House of Assembly Commission and chairman, Secondary Schools Management Board.
At its sitting on Monday, the state House of Assembly, presided over by Deputy Speaker, Leyii Kwanee, agreed to institute a probe on two of the three motions slated on its Order Paper for the day namely, “On the state of the economy of Rivers State” and “Insecurity and Financial Mismanagement by the Chairmen of Asari-Toru, Ahoada East and Khana Local Government Councils.”
Presenting the two motions, Deputy House Leader, Hon. Nname Ewor, called the attention of his colleagues to their importance, asking that they should be attended to with the urgency they deserved.
On the motion on the state of the Economy of Rivers State, Ewor expressed disappointment that while the state government claimed that it had paid salaries and allowances up till March, workers were complaining that they were owed for months.
Ewor said: “As we speak today, workers and pensioners are owed their salaries and allowances for months, yet, funds have been appropriated and regular remittances made from the internally generated revenue and from the Federation Account and others. Also, the house appears to be worried with the state of the economy of the state. We are therefore tempted to ask the question,: Is Rivers State broke?”
