Port Harcourt, Nigeria
The Rivers State House of Assembly has voted to override the governor of the State, Siminalayi Fubara and pass four new bills into law.
The development took place on Friday (today) at the House of Assembly Quarters during plenary after the speaker Martin Amaewhule read four letters addressed to him by the governor where withheld his assent to the four new bills forwarded to his office for assent.
The assembly invoked Section 100 subsection 5 of the Constitution which empowers lawmakers to override the governor.
According to the Section “where the Governor withholds assent and the bill is again passed by a two-thirds majority, the bill shall become a law and the assent of the Governor shall not be required”.
The speaker accused the governor of not planning to conduct local government elections in the state, saying “by the reasons given by the Governor it means he doesn’t plan to conduct local government elections in the state”.
Amaewhule added that “the key thing here is that this law removes the power of the Governor to appoint Caretaker Committee Chairmen for the Local Governments, the Governor is not happy that we’re removing his powers to appoint caretaker chairmen”
The 4 Laws passed are the Rivers Local Government Amendment Law; the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Amendment Law; the Rivers State Advertisement and Use of State-Owned Property Prohibition Repeal Law and the Rivers State Funds Management and Financial Autonomy Law.
