‘Unknown to law’ — pro-Wike lawmakers oppose creation of investment agency by Fubara

The Martin Amaewhule-led faction of Rivers house of assembly has faulted the creation of Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency (RSIPA) by Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state.

In May, Fubara approved the establishment of RSIPA “to provide one-stop-shop investment services and facilitation to investors in the state”.

In August, the Rivers governor signed an executive order to establish RSIPA and inaugurated the six-member maiden governing board of the agency on Monday.

At the plenary held at the assembly quarters on Thursday, the house said there is no law backing the creation of the agency, adding that the governor did not consult the lawmakers before establishing RSIPA.

Gerald Oforji, the chairman of the house committee on commerce and industry, had presented a report on the “purported inauguration” of the RSIPA board by Fubara.

However, in a statement by Martins Wachukwu, media aide to Amaewhule, the house noted that the report of the committee said that if the agency is properly established, it would create a conducive climate to attract and grow businesses in Rivers state.

The media aide to the speaker added that the committee said the creation of the agency is unknown to any law created by the Rivers house of assembly.

The statement quoted Amaewhule, speaker of the faction, as saying that the individuals appointed as RSIPA board members should have been screened by the assembly if there is a law establishing the agency.

“Rt. Hon. Amaewhule also recalled a similar action taken by Governor Fubara when he professed to have appointed some persons into the Board of the Bureau for Public Procurement and other appointments without regard to the provisions of extant laws guiding such appointments,” the statement reads.

“When the speaker put the question, the House voted in the affirmative and condemned in strong terms the actions of the governor, which it declared illegal and questionable.”

The Rivers assembly has been polarised following the rift between Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), and Fubara.

Both politicians have been at loggerheads over control of the political structure of the state.

The 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike, who are in the Amaewhule-led faction, have been holding legislative within the legislative quarters, while the Victor Oko Jumbo-faction holds plenary at the government house.