The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martins Amaewhule have called on Economics and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission, ICPC, to investigate the River Electoral Chairman.
Mr Amaewhule, who is the Speaker of the Assembly, made the remark during the plenary at the Assembly quarters complex in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
He said that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, Chairman, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd), should be investigated for alleged misappropriation of the Commission’s fund.
He said that it is the duty of the Rivers State Assembly, that enacted the state Independent Electoral Commission law and set up the State Independent Electoral Commission, to exercise oversight over it.
“It is not only constitutional, but it is the convention the world over,” he said.
Mr Amaewhule said that Mr Enebeli and the Commissioners came before the House of Assembly for screening and confirmation and admitted that they were not going to live above the Constitution or the Rivers’ law.
“And it is usually the practice that questions are put forth to them, asking them if they will come before the House when questions are needed to be asked.
“And they also confirmed to us that they will come before the Assembly to answer questions when necessary.
“Today, we are calling on them and they are refusing to honour the summons of this August Assembly.’’
He said that the House is vested with the powers in Section 128 of the state Constitution to invite the commission for investigation, for the chairman and members to answer questions put forward to them.
Mr Amaewhule said that it had become necessary for the house to invite the EFCC and ICPC to assist it, in pursuit of its investigative powers, to find out how funds were spent by the commission.
He said that the crime commissions should also investigate how public funds were expended by the chairman, who is the chief accounting officer of the commission, in a manner that was unknown to the Assembly.
Mr Amaewhule said that there was no approval, no budgetary allocation, no appropriation law, and billions of public funds went down the drain in futile actions.
“It’s important that they come and bring themselves forward for this investigation and that’s exactly what this motion has said,” he explained.
Mr Amaewhule said that the motion and the prayers were voted in favour by the 26 member against nil.
He, however, said that the House did not condemn the refusal of the RSIEC’s chairman and others who failed to subject themselves to investigation by it.
He added that the House had agreed to invite the bankers to the RSIEC to produce the commission’s bank statements from Jan, 1, 2024 till date.
Amaewhule stated that the power to also investigate the government of the River State was rested on the Assembly by virtue of the provisions of Section 128.
NAN
