The Rivers State House of Assembly shall choose where they want to sit and conduct their legislative business without interference and/or hindrance from the Executive arm of government
The political crisis in Rivers State appears set for a temporary solution after the parties involved signed a peace deal at a meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday.
The meeting, called by President Bola Tinubu, was attended by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his predecessor Nyesom Wike and other political leaders in the state.
Apart from Messrs Fubara and Wike, others who signed the resolution document include the PDP chairperson in Rivers State, Aaron Chukwuemeka, and the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule.
The resolution was also signed by Rivers Deputy Governor Ngozi Ordu and a factional Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Martin Chike.
The APC chairperson in Rivers and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, also signed the document.
The meeting was also attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima and a former governor of the state, Peter Odili.
The signed resolution document contained eight items. These include that Mr Fubara and his team would withdraw all the court cases they instituted and that the Rivers Assembly would drop all impeachment proceedings against the governor.
Even though Mr Wike helped Mr Fubara get to office as governor, both men have been on a war path for several weeks leading to violence and an attack on the Rivers Assembly complex which was later demolished by the state government.
About 27 of the 31 members of the Rivers Assembly are loyal to Mr Wike and had threatened to impeach Mr Fubara.
Below are the resolutions reached at the meeting.
- All matters instituted in the courts by the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Fubara, and his team, in respect of the political crisis in Rivers State, shall be withdrawn immediately.
- All impeachment proceedings initiated against the Governor of Rivers State by the Rivers State House of Assembly should be dropped immediately.
- The leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly as led by the Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule shall be recognised alongside the 27 members who resigned from the PDP.
- The remunerations and benefits of all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and their staff must be reinstated immediately and the Governor of Rivers State shall henceforth not interfere with the full funding of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
- The Rivers State House of Assembly shall choose where they want to sit and conduct their legislative business without interference and/or hindrance from the Executive arm of government.
- The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Fubara, shall re-present the state budget to a properly constituted Rivers State House of Assembly.
- The names of all commissioners in the Rivers State Executive Council who resigned their appointments because of the political crisis in the state should be resubmitted to the House of Assembly for approval.
- There should not be a caretaker committee for the local governments in Rivers State. The dissolution of the Local Government administration is null and void and shall not be recognised.
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