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Suspected Forgery:
House Over-rules Leader, Clears Commissioner Nominee
…Also Ratifies Suspension of 11 Council Chairmen
By Ngozi Anosike
The Rivers State House of Assembly Monday, January 17, 2012
kicked off the year's deliberations on a disappointing
self-serving and incriminating note, throwing etiquette, good
conscience and the law to the birds as the lawmakers went on to
endorse the two contentious proposals forwarded to them by their
paymaster, Gov Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
Even the House leader, Hon Chidi Lloyd, the mouthpiece of
Governor Amaechi in the desecrated hallowed chambers could not
hide his disgust for the manner the House handled the issues
tabled before them.
Governor Amaechi who had already chosen his former colleague
while he reigned as Speaker of the House (1999 – 2007), Emeka
Worgu from Omuma State Constituency and another, Samuel Ehiba as
commissioner nominees had earlier sent in the names in addition
to the list of the suspended Local Government Council Chairmen
to the lawmakers for their approval just to fulfill all
righteousness.
Despite the errors conspicuously picked out by the lawmakers
while screening the commissioner nominee from Ahoada West, Mr
Samuel Ehiba, the House unanimously cleared and confirmed him to
serve as a member of the state executive council.
During the screening, the lawmakers had discovered that Mr
Samuel Ehiba's credentials revealed that he was in two secondary
schools at the same time, while his birth certificate was full
of errors.
Disappointed by the anomalies, Hon Victoria Nyeche wondered if
he will be able to head a Ministry if eventually cleared by the
House and advised him to be careful as she expected him to be
more articulate.
The Leader of the House, Hon Chidi Lloyd who outrightly
discredited Mr Ehiba maintained that a man who claimed to be in
two institutions at the same time cannot be a good man.
“A man is what he tells others, he is … I doubt if this fellow
has the capacity to drive the Governor's dream”, he insisted.
He also opined that Mr Ehiba who does not even know where he was
born following the anomalies in his birth certificate be asked
by the House to “go and sin no more”.
Hon Lloyd however enjoined his colleagues to know that the
institution “legislature” is above all of them seated in the
hallowed chambers and will be judged by whatever they do and
advised that as lawmakers “we must as a people take the work
seriously”.
Also confirmed as a commissioner nominee is Mr Emeka Worgu who
represented Omuma Constituency in the State House of Assembly
from 1999 – 2007.
The Assembly has also ratified the suspension of the 11 Local
Government Council Chairmen in the State following the letter of
notification of suspension sent to it by the executive governor.
Meanwhile, the 2012 appropriation bill has been committed to
various House standing committees who were directed to invite
the heads of ministries, departments, agencies and commissioners
to appear before them for discussions.###
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