Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, has declared that the Rivers State House of Assembly quarters has a lifespan of 25 years before anything can be done to it.
The quarters, which was constructed by the administration for the immediate-past governor of the state and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, was commission in 2022.
Chinda spoke yesterday when some members of the House of Representatives and other stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) paid an unscheduled visit to the House of Assembly quarters in Port Harcourt.
He said: “According to the engineers we consulted, these buildings (House of Assembly quarters) has a lifespan of 25 years before anything can be done on it.”
Conducting the visitors round the quarters, Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, declared that the state legislature is not an appendage of the Office of the Governor.
Amaewhule stated that Governor Siminalayi Fubara cannot visit the House of Assembly quarters without an invitation from the state lawmakers, insisting that the House is an independent arm of government.
He said: “This is the hallowed chamber of the Rivers State House of Assembly. As you can see, the structure is on perfect condition. The contactors that delivered this place are world-class contractors and they did a very good job.
“From time to time, as an independent arm of government, we ensure that our department that is in-charge of estates and works, conduct periodic checks all our facilities. All our expects, all our engineers have confirmed to us that nothing is wrong with either the hallowed chamber or any of the structures within the quarters.
“The duty of ascertaining whether there is problem is the duty of the House of Assembly, not the office of the governor. This facility belongs to the Rivers State House of Assembly and it remains so. We are not an appendage of the office of the governor.
“If we need to complain, it is only when we invite the governor to come but we have not invited him. The Rivers State House of Assembly did not invite the governor.”
The Speaker reminded Fubara of an order of a Federal High Court presided over by Justice Omotosho, which barred him from interfering in the activities of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Amaewhule said: “For the avoidance of doubt, I have to remark that the judgement of Justice Omotosho has barred him from interfering in our affairs. It is an order of injunction that barred him from interfering in any matter regarding the Clerk of the House, members, facilities, any thing concerning us, the judgement says, don’t interfer.”
