The Rivers State House of Assembly on Thursday initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.
During plenary presided over by the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, the Majority Leader, Rivers State House of Assembly, Major Jack, read out the notice of allegations and gross misconduct against Fubara.
The impeachment motion, based on Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution, lists seven allegations of gross misconduct including unauthorized demolition of the Assembly Complex, extra-budgetary spending, withholding funds from the Assembly Service Commission, and failure to comply with Supreme Court rulings on the House’s financial autonomy.
Twenty-six members of the Rivers State House of Assembly signed the notice which they alleged was against the Nigerian Constitution.
Amaewhule said the notice will be served to Fubara in the next seven days.
“We will see this impeachment process through,” the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule said, adding that Governor Fubara is a mistake for Rivers State and a threat to democracy. The Speaker said that if they cannot uphold the constitution, it is better they all resign.
The Deputy Majority Leader of the RSHA, Linda Stewart, also read out the notice of allegations and gross misconduct against Odu.
According to the report, some of the gross misconduct allegations against Odu included reckless and unconstitutional spending of public funds, obstruction of the House of Assembly from performing her constitutional duties as outlined by the 1999 Constitution, conniving to allow unauthorised persons to occupy offices without proper screening by the legitimate House of Assembly.
Other allegations were that she approached another group of people for budgetary approval instead of the legitimate Rivers State House of Assembly, seizure of salaries and allowances accruing to the RSHA and the Assembly Service Commission.