Newsone Nigeria reports that intrigues continue to trail the political crisis in Rivers State, south-south Nigeria as the state House of Assembly Complex was demolished on Wednesday morning, December 13, 2023.
This online news platform understands that the Rivers Assembly Complex demolition came on a day Governor Siminalayi Fubara presented the N800bn 2024 budget estimates to the Edison Ehie-led group at the Government House the same moment the demolition was carried out.
Ehie was recognised by the court as the Speaker of the House while the court restrained Nyesom Wike’s loyalist Martins Amaewhule from parading himself as the speaker. The presentation of the budget was held at a hall in the Government House, apparently, due to the “renovation” work at the state assembly complex which started Wednesday morning.
Present at the budget presentation were members of the House loyal to Ehie. None of the members who recently moved from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was in attendance.. Also present were a former speaker of the House, Adams Dabotorudinma; and former Deputy Speaker, Marshal Uwom.
Giving reasons for the demolition of the Rivers Assembly Complex, the Rivers State Government through the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, said it was due to the fire that gutted the complex and destroyed property worth millions of naira, which he said rendered the facility unfit for legislation.
Johnson further said in a statement issued on Wednesday after the demolition of the Rivers Assembly Complex located along Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, that the “The decision to demolish and rebuild the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex was due to the structural defects which arose mainly as a result of the recent explosion and fire incident which rendered the main building unfit for human use.
“After the visit of the governor to inspect the level of damage done to the building on the day of the fire incident, it became necessary to invite professionals to advise the government on the integrity of the building.
“It would be recalled that on the night of the attack on the complex, explosive dynamites were used to attack the complex which shook it to foundation.
“There were visible cracks on the walls afterwards, and the entire structure looked frail and unsafe for legislative business
“After the assessment of the integrity of the complex, the experts warned the government that continuing to use the building in its present state would be disastrous.”
Meanwhile, Newsone Nigeria recalls that t explosion rocked the Rivers State House of Assembly complex in October. The incident came amid alleged moves by some lawmakers to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The state government thrrough the commissioner further said the government had tried all cost-saving measures towards the repair of the complex until it bowed to the superior view of rebuilding the complex into a more befitting edifice.
“In the interim, the Rivers State Government has provided an alternative venue for the House of Assembly to conduct their affairs pending the rebuilding of the complex, ” the statement added.