A faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly has announced Edison Ehie, the suspended majority Leader of the Assembly, as the new Speaker of the House.
Ehie, is a member representing Ahoada East constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly. He was earlier on Monday suspended by 24 out of the 32 members of the state assembly led by its Speaker, Martins Amaewhule.
A statement by the Special Adviser to Governor Sim Fubara, Boniface Onyedi Monday afternoon stated that another 26 members of the assembly “elected the new speaker of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly”.
According to the statement, Ehie’s “emergence as the new Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker came after 26 members of the Assembly elected him during plenary following the suspension of some key officers of the assembly”.
He however did not reveal where the 26 members sat to hold their plenary or when, following the explosion attack of the assembly and the sealing off of the assembly complex by security agencies.
The statement said that the new speaker promised: “to discharge his duty without fear or favour but be fair and just to all and sundry, and give to his colleagues their constitutional entitlements”.
The new speaker also stated that he would give fair hearing to suspended members of the Assembly through the Committee on Petition.
Rt Hon Ehie announced that the House has adjourned following a circular served by the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, ( PASAN) to commence an indefinite nationwide strike.
