BREAKING: Rivers lawmaker asks Speaker to resign for mismanaging N600m

Tuesday, May 15, 2018 2:23 pm

Mr Ikuiyi Iwaji Ibani,

…Workers owed 17 months,Assembly complex,Quarters in sorry state

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Crisis is brewing in the Rivers House of Assembly as the Lawmaker representing Ahoada East Constituency One, Hon. Martins Mannah, has accused the Speaker, Mr Ikuiyi Iwaji Ibani, of not utilizing the N600 million released to him for the welfare of lawmakers, their staff and mentainance of Assembly Complex and Quarters.

Hon. Mannah who was shut out from speaking on the issues as the Speaker Ibani who ruled him out of order on the floor of the House.

But he later addressed the Assembly Press Corps where he said that for 17 months now the Assembly Complex built with several billions of naira has remained unkept and in a decrepit state.

He also accused the Speaker of gross incompetence for not deeming it nescessary to organize trainings for lawmakers on parliamentary proceedure and the lawmaking.

The lawmaker said this is inspite of the fact that the majority of the members of the House of Assembly are first timers.

Hon. Mannah stated,”Some Assembly members don’t even know how to move motions and also contribute to debate because they were not trained in Legislative business.”

The lawmaker complained that, “legislative staff have not been paid for the past 17 months and they have turned to beggars and nobody is saying anything about it.

“Even when Governor Wike has released N600 million to renovate the Assembly Complex and legislative Quarters built by former Governor Peter Odili under the watch of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is in a mess. The whole toilet system is smelling. Spirogyra are growing everywhere on the walls and they say weshould not talk. We are voted here by our people to speak for them”, Hon. Mannah alleged.

Mannah therefore called on the Speaker Ibani to resign if he was incapable of piloting the affairs of the legislative arm because Lawmakers in the House don’t want to fail their people due to the Speaker’s incompetence.

At press time, the Speaker was yet to respond to all the allegations.

It will however be recalled that on September 28, 20166, the Assembly staff gave 21 days notice of strike to the Speaker over emolument and welfare issues. It was learnt that the strike was suspended due to the intervention of the Governor Wike and other stakeholders.