Rivers Assembly suspends 3 LG bosses, summons 9 commissioners

RIVERS State House of
Assembly, yesterday, suspended three
caretaker committee chairmen over
allegations of financial impropriety and issue
of insecurity in their councils.
The affected caretaker committee chairmen
are Mr Cassidy Ikegbedi, Ahoada East; Mr
Ojukaye Amachree, Asari Toru, and Mr
Derrick Mene for Khana Local Government
Area.



The House, during its sitting presided over by
the Deputy Speaker, Leyii Kwanee, also set
up a committee to investigate allegations
against the council chairmen.
The Assembly also summoned nine
commissioners and four heads of ministries,
agencies and departments to appear before
it today.
Kwanii explained that the Assembly took the
action to get clarification from some of the
commissioners on the economic position of
the state, adding that the lawmakers were
not out to witch-hunt anybody.
“As an arm of government, we are not out to
witch-hunt the executive. We are out to
strengthen things. You are aware that the
seventh Assembly is gradually coming to an
end. We have been seeing a lot of conflicting
reports. The other day, the Commissioner for
Information, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, was on air
saying that civil servants have been paid up
to March. So, we feel very embarrassed as
an arm of government,” he said.
Those to appear before the lawmakers
include the Commissioners for Finance,
Agriculture, Power, Health, Tourism,
Information, Budget, Works and Transport.
Others to also appear are the Accountant-
General, Chairmen of Board of Internal
Revenue, Rivers State Assembly Service
Commission and Secondary School
Management Board.
Deputy Leader of the House, Nname Ewor,
representing Ahoada East Constituency 1 in
two motions he presented before the House,
had expressed worries with the conflicting
reports on the economy of the state.
He lamented the rising incidents of insecurity
and degree of financial recklessness in the
local government areas of the affected
Caretaker Committee chairmen.
“In these three councils, human lives have
been rendered insignificant and financial
frugality has been jettisoned to the waste
bin. The councils are drifting to the
Hobbesion State of Nature,” he added