The Rivers State House of Assembly has refuted claims made by Edison Ehie, who recently resigned from the House, asserting that he was never elected as the Speaker of the state legislature. The House clarified that the position of the Speaker is a legal creation and emphasized that Ehie, the former representative of Ahoada East Constituency II, was making false assertions.
In a letter titled 'To whom it may concern,' dated January 1st, 2024, and obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday, the Clerk of the House, Emeka Amadi, responded to Ehie's resignation letter addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission. Amadi deemed Ehie's letter "misleading information" and said he was never elected as the Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker.
According to the letter, "The attention of the Rivers State House of Assembly has been drawn to a letter dated December 29, 2023, addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission and circulating in the media. It was purportedly written and signed by Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, a member representing Ahoada East Constituency II in the Rivers State of Assembly, who claimed to have resigned from the position of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, an office he never occupied."
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Amadi clarified, "The Office of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly is a creation of the 1999 Constitution (as altered) and should not be ridiculed by any member who swore to preserve it and abide by it." He recounted the election held on June 5, 2023, which led to the unanimous selection of Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule was elected as the speaker by all 31 present members.
Emphasizing that Amaewhule has been dutifully performing his responsibilities as Speaker since June 5, 2023, Amadi warned against spreading misleading information about the House and urged security agencies to uphold the rule of law. The House Clerk concluded the disclaimer to set the records straight and avoid any doubt regarding the legislative authority of the House.
