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From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
The factional speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, has justified the reason 27 members of the Assembly dumped their party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Amaewhule gave the reason during a dedication service and stakeholders meeting of the APC in Port Harcourt, on Sunday, attributing their decision to the crisis rocking the state chapter of the PDP.
He also said the former PDP state lawmakers acknowledged the good governance of President Bola Tinubu in his appointments of Rivers indigenes into various positions, as among their reasons for defection.
According to him, President Tinubu’s will-power to address the deplorable and abandoned East-West road by previous federal governments, showed his concern for Rivers and in extension, Niger Delta people.
Amaewhule said: “We begged Mr. President; the former president could not attend to the problems of the State. So, we begged Mr. President that we have a problem. Look at the East West Road – the road leading to Ogoni.
“The president (Tinubu) that is not in our party unlike the previous president, the president gave us his words and said go back home irrespective of your party, I am a detribalized Nigerian. That’s what the president told us.
“The East West road work is ongoing and in no distance time, that project will be completed. Access to the refinery, access to all the companies along the stretch of the road will be complete that is the president that says a thing and he does it.
“Do you know what the president is doing since he became president? He has given appointments to Rivers people irrespective of parties. Mr. President for the first time gave a strategic appointment for somebody that is not from his party. It’s not only the appointment of the FCT Minister, he has given appointments to many Rivers sons.
“All the people he appointed are not APC members. The president shows that he is detribalized. So, in making a choice of which party to go to, this is a president that means well for the people. Let me inform you we have done investigation and we know that in the coming weeks, early next week, a lot will be done and we believe that when we have petroleum products refined in this part of the country, prices of petroleum products will drop.”
Amaewhule noted that a lot of work is going on in the Port Harcourt refinery now. But let me tell you something that is very important, I did not say that everything is well in the country. The president has started well and the foundation is strong. The president needs the support of Nigerians.
“So, in making our decisions to leave PDP, the PDP never said anything when the House of Assembly was burnt down. No official statement from the PDP. They did not condemn it when the state legislature was burnt down. The party never condemned which shows that they were not interested in what we are doing in the House of Assembly. We have taken a decision to be in APC.
“All we need to do as Rivers is to support Mr. President; every person that Mr. President has appointed, we should pray and support them and Mr. President, so that the president will continue to do good things for the state. As legislatures, our job is to come up with legislation that helps the people of Rivers State.
“We have just passed the state Fund Management Bill that grants the financial autonomy of the State legislation. What it means is that as soon as assent is given to that bill, we don’t have to run to the governor to be begging for funds to manage the House of Assembly.
“Currently, the governor has stopped funding the state House of Assembly. But, once the bill is consented to, what it means is that funding will come straight from consolidated revenue of the State. What the governor is doing by not releasing funds to the state Assembly is against the constitution. The governor has stopped funding the Assembly that is a misconduct on part of the governor.”
The factional speaker added that the four-man group led by Edison Ehie cannot form a quorum, adding that whatever they are doing in the name of the Assembly cannot stand.
