…transmit impeachment proceedings to state chief judge
The Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) has asked Justice Simeon Amadi, Rivers State Chief Judge, to set up a seven-man panel to probe allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.
This was the outcome of plenary held on Friday at the Legislative Quarters in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital.
Four members of the Assembly, Barile Nwakoh (Khana 1), Emilia Amadi (Obio/Akpor II), Sylvanus Enyinna Nwankwo (Omuma) and Peter Abbey (Degema), who had on Monday and Wednesday urged their colleagues to rescind the impeachment process, made a U-turn on Friday, reuniting with the other 22 members to continue the impeachment process against Governor Fubara and Deputy Governor Odu.
Martin Amaewhule, Speaker of the Assembly, in a letter to the Chief Judge, on Friday, based the ‘Request For The Appointmentof A Seven-man Investigative Panel,’ on the provisions of “Section 188(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended).”
Amaewhule said, “I write to request that you appoint a panel of seven (7) persons to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against Her Excellency. Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu DSSRS, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State pursuant to section 188(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“At the 6o Legisiative day of the Third Session of the 10h Assembly, the House resolved in compliance with section 188(4) of the Constitution that these aliegations be investigated,” he said.
The speaker noted that, “In this regard, the acknowledged copy of the forwarding letter of the Notice of Allegations of Gross Misconduct; photocopies of the Notice of Allegations of Gross Misconduct; copies of the Rivers State Impeachment Panet (Conduct of Investigations) Procedure, 2025: photocopies of newspaper publications of Guardian, Saturday Sun, Nation and other relevant docurments are hereby attached for the use ot the Panel.”
Analysts said the request for a seven-man panel to probe the governor and his deputy took the impeachment process to the next level.
As of the time of filing in this news report, Governor Sim Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, have not made any public comment on the impeachment process initiated by the Assembly.
