On Sunday, prominent Rivers State leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) staged a show of solidarity outside the Port Harcourt House of Assembly buildings.

Prominent APC figures who participated in the demonstration were Chief Tony Okocha, Desmond Akawor, Kingsley Chindah, Olaka Nwogu, and others.

The state government’s purported plan to destroy the facility was rejected by the demonstrators.

Hon. Martins Amaehwule, Speaker of the Assembly and a supporter of Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), welcomed the demonstrators.
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Amaewhule informed the demonstrators that Governor Siminalayi Fubara had a huge scheme to demolish the complex’s buildings in the same manner that he had ordered the destruction of the House of Assembly Complex, which was situated down Moacow Road.

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He claimed that the legislators and their families were now residing in the fully operational, immaculate buildings.
Amaewhule stated that the estate was still owned by the Rivers State House of Assembly and that the members had never extended an invitation to the governor to visit the quarters.

“Your visit is an unusual visit,” he added. It demonstrates that the good citizens of the state are worried about what is taking place. This establishment is the establishment of the Assembly of the State of Rivers.

We have also included engineers and professionals, and these structures are in perfect condition. They are completely operational and in full use. We received confirmation from all the specialists that this building is among the best in all of West Africa.

‘This complex was built by the former governor, Nyesom Wike, and officially opened by Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, the president’s chief of staff, in August 2022. The building meets our needs and is operating smoothly.

‘We didn’t send the governor a letter or extend an invitation to him. We don’t need his assistance, so we didn’t ask for it. In no way do we require his intervention. Any attempt to discuss demolition or reconstruction is unquestionably an attack on both democracy and the people who live in these buildings.

“The governor’s office is not the Rivers State Government. It consists of the judiciary, the executive branch, and the legislative. The governor is not entitled to possess it as his own. The Rivers State House of Assembly is the owner of it. He therefore has no right to enter our property without our permission.

As he showed the leaders around the property, Amaewhule maintained that the governor lacked the authority to issue an executive order telling legislators where to convene.

While outlining the reason for their visit, House of Representatives Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda expressed concern over rumors of another imminent deconstruction of democratic institutions and made the decision to evaluate the building’s state.

According to Chinda, they had already hired specialists to evaluate the complex’s structural stability prior to their arrival, and the results of their study indicated that the structures would endure for more than 25 years.

He noted that the Wike complex, constructed approximately two years ago, was still the best in Africa and superior to the National Legislative Quarters.

‘Let me salute the speaker and members of the House,’ he declared. A few state leaders traveled to the United States to obtain the design for the assembly complex that was pulled down. It was this nation’s best state assembly when it was constructed. That building no longer exists.
But as participants in the We, the National Assembly from Rivers State, have gathered with the state’s leaders and elders to talk about the problems that are occurring in our state, the most recent of which is the threat to demolish the buildings on this property.

Engineers and specialists have been hired by us to investigate and report on the structural integrity of these buildings. The report has been delivered to us. Furthermore, the paper states that these structures have a minimum 25-year lifespan.

‘We independently inspected the structures to confirm that they were still sturdy and in good condition with the report we were given. Nothing about what we have seen here is better than our apartments in the National Assembly.

‘We ought to feel pleased with our state’s These are the spaces used for assembling. It is simpler to demolish than to construct. Have we taken any steps to reconstruct the one we destroyed? Inform us that public servants ought to be role models for society, both in terms of behavior and character. Let us also warn you that you have to rule according to the law.However, as representatives from Rivers State in the National Assembly, we have gathered with the state’s elders and leaders to talk about the problems that are occurring in our state, the most recent of which is the threat to demolish the buildings on these grounds.

Engineers and specialists have been hired by us to investigate and report on the structural integrity of these buildings. The report has been delivered to us. Additionally According to the analysis, these buildings have a minimum 25-year lifespan.

We independently inspected the structures to confirm that they were still sturdy and in good condition with the report we were given. Nothing about what we have seen here is better than our apartments in the National Assembly.

‘The fact that our state assembly is housed on these premises should make us proud. It is simpler to demolish than to construct. Have we taken any steps to reconstruct the one we destroyed? Inform us that public servants ought to be role models for society, both in terms of behavior and character. Let us also warn you that you have to rule in accordance with the law.

He declared: “I would want to remind the governor that the Rivers State House of Assembly’s Parliament was purposefully brought down by him by demolishing it, according to the same Justice Omotosho ruling.

He purposefully did it to keep them from sitting. That is intentional harm done to a public space. That is a transgression. One day the red biro will run out of ink, and you will have to respond. There hasn’t been a challenge to it. I also want to inform him that the people of the Rivers will mobilize every democratic institution on the planet to protect democracy in Rivers.

‘We are not going to flee. We’re going to fight him back. The best type of administration is our system of government, and Rivers will have democracy. He He ought to have sympathy for the governed and keep in mind that the Rivers State House of Assembly has achieved financial independence.

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Ikuinyi Ibani, a former speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, urged the governor to abandon any plans to tamper with quarters, claiming their examination had indicated there was nothing wrong with the structures.

He stated that Fubara must always uphold law and order in the state and cautioned the governor against taking any actions that would incite conflict.

Additionally, Senator Olaka Nwogu informed the governor that the people and the constitution, not the edifice, were what made the parliament.

He declared that the members would keep building more holy chambers if the governor kept demolishing them defense of the democratic process.

Nwogu remembered the House of Assembly complex destruction, calling it the biggest attack on democracy.

Chief Tony Okocha, the APC’s chairman of the Rivers Caretaker Committee, praised leaders and elders from all political parties for standing up for democracy, calling it an example of the state’s unity.

The 27 lawmakers, according to Okocha, are still members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the party would keep looking out for them.

He claimed that Fubara did not cast a ballot for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the most recent election, but the governor would constantly admit his support for the latter at every turn.

This demonstrates to the outside world the unity of the Rivers people, he remarked. We are a single entity. The speaker gave us a tour of the property and a summary of what happened when the governor harassed the locals with goons in the style of the Gestapo.

We have an obligation to protect and assist the 27 lawmakers who belong to our party. The governor seizes the chance to declare his unwavering support for Mr. President in order to curry political favor. It’s not accurate. It is not typical.

”They should make it known to the world that they do not support Mr. President,” To test their ability to carry out their illicit activities, they wish to lash out at it. In my capacity as Rivers State’s APC chairman, I have looked at the

information about the previous election, and it is evident to me that the governor did not support Mr. President.

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