RIVERS ASSEMBLY EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR RSIEC CHAIRMAN, COMMISSIONER’S APPEARANCE

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The Rivers House of Assembly has extended the time for the chairman and commissioners of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to appear before it to March 10.

Mr Martins Wachukwu, the Special Assistant to the Speaker on Media Affairs, disclosed this in a statement to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Friday.

Wachukwu said that the extension of time was to enable the commission to give explanations to issues concerning its activities.

The speaker’s aide said that the house was unhappy that neither the RSIEC chairman nor the commissioners honoured its earlier invitation.

He said that the decision for the latest invitation was taken at a sitting of the house where it directed the clerk to communicate the chairman and the commissioners.

“They are being invited to explain the commission’s actions concerning the Oct. 5, 2024 local government council in the state.

“Another reason for the invitation is to explain the unbudgeted expenditures undertaken by the commission
“They are also to inform the house how the commission expects to generate funds to conduct the election it is currently proposing,” he said.

The speaker’s aide said that the assembly would be forced to invoke the spirit and letters of of the constitution if the chairman and the commissioners failed to appear before it.

Wachkwu said that the house had taken ‘legislative notice’ of Gov. Siminalaye Fubara’s refusal to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill as ordered by the Supreme Court.

“The house has also taken notice of the governor’s refusal to submit list of commissioner nominees to the house as earlier directed,” he said