…court bars CJ from receiving the notice
Rivers State House of Assembly has directed the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Hon. Justice Simeon Amadi to appoint a panel of seven persons to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct the house had earlier brought against the Governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, and the Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu.
The letters conveying the directives, titled, “Request for the Appointment of a Seven-Man Investigative Panel Pursuant to Section 188 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 199 (As Amended) was signed by the Speaker, Mr. Martins Amaewhule.
Attached to the letters are copies of the allegations against the governor and deputy governor for the panel to use in its investigations.
Meanwhile, a Rivers State High Court presided over by Hon. Justice F.A. Fiberesima has made an interim order restraining the Chief Judge from receiving the notice from the house of assembly of appointing a panel to investigate impeachment charges against the governor and the deputy governor.
Justice Fiberesima fixed the return date the hearing of the motion to January 23.
Earlier on Friday, members of the house of assembly dressed in traditional costumes, reiterated their commitment to the impeachment proceedings against the governor and the deputy governor, who they accused of breaching the Constitution with impunity.
Among the legislators were the four that had during the week appeared to have broken ranks with the others to appeal to their colleagues to suspend the impeachment process for the sake of peace.
Most of those who spoke at the press briefing on Friday said they were going on with the process because it was not an ethnic affair, themselves being Ijaw like the Governor.
They alleged that the governor rather than respond to the impeachment notice had unleashed social media attacks against them.
It is not clear if the governor and the deputy governor responded to the impeachment charges. The house was according to the constitutional provisions sit and consider the responses of the governor and deputy governor and vote on whether the responses were satisfactory or not before notifying the Chief Judge to set up a panel to investigate the allegations against the governor and deputy governor.
