Row in Rivers Assembly over screening

•Why Amaechi sacked Tourism Board boss –Press secretary

From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt

Scene was created yesterday in the hallowed chamber of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Port Harcourt, when two members, Chidi Lloyd and Kelechi Nwogu, engaged one another in hot exchange of words. The situation was, however, brought under control by other lawmakers.

Problem started when the House convened an emergency session to debate a letter sent by Governor Chibuike Amaechi urging members to screen Deacon Vincent Elenwo to become a member of the State Tourism Development Agency Board (STDAB). The governor’s letter did not go down well with some members of the House, as Victor Ihunwo, representing Phalga Constituency III opposed it vehemently, saying other members of the board were not screened. He wondered why Elenwo’s case should be an exception.

The visibly angry lawmaker said it was wrong to convene an emergency session because of screening of Elenwo. Lloyd, who is also the House representing Emohua Constituency, called him to order, citing Order 34(2), stating that the governor had right to make appointment, even without the candidate passing through the screening process, adding that the House had no role to play in the screening.

Shortly after members of the Assembly reconvened having stood-down the screening of Elenwo, there was row between the two legislators. Nwogu, representing Omuma Constituency, was furious, warning Lloyd to address him as a colleague because they were lawmakers. It, however, took the intervention of other legislators before decorum could be restored.

In his ruling, Deputy Speaker, Leyii Kwanee, discharged the candidate, saying that lawmakers would handle other issues bordering on the appointment administratively. In a related development, the Press Secretary to Chukwuemeka Woke, the erstwhile chairman of the STDAB, Mr. Emmanuel Kejeh, has revealed that his boss was sacked two weeks ago by the governor, for being found at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, with Nyesom Wike, Minister for Education (State). Kejeh alleged that when Amaechi noticed that Woke was at the airport and refused to greet him, the governor ordered for his immediate sack. He attributed the low turn out at the opening ceremony of the ongoing CARNIRIV to the sack of his boss.