Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, has taken a new step as the Assembly moves forward with impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.
At the 137th Legislative Sitting on Monday, Amaewhule announced that he had officially received a Notice of Allegation of Gross Misconduct against both officials.
The notice, signed by 26 lawmakers, outlined five accusations against the governor and three against his deputy.
According to the Speaker, the notice was received on March 14, 2025. In line with Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution, he distributed copies to Assembly members and forwarded them to Fubara and Odu. However, to ensure they were properly informed in case the letters were not acknowledged, the House passed a motion to publish the notice in at least three national newspapers.
In a separate move, the House also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, over alleged unauthorized spending of public funds. The motion, moved by Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol, claimed that large sums of money were spent without proper legislative approval.
Commenting on the motion, Speaker Amaewhule stated that the House had to involve the EFCC because Governor Fubara had reportedly instructed heads of ministries, departments, and agencies not to honor Assembly invitations. He added that this would not stop the legislature from carrying out its constitutional responsibilities.
