Erstwhile members of the Rivers State House of Assembly scampered over the fence to escape the arrival of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara when he visited to inspect the state of the property.

A former Speaker of the Assembly, Martins Amaewhule disclosed this on Thursday, May 9, 2024 to newsmen in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The Governor in an interview with newsmen after the inspection said he was at the Assembly Quarters for an on-the-spot assessment of the buildings with a view to embarking on a possible rehabilitation work to restore its status and make it livable.

Amaewhule, who was visibly shaken and obviously speaking out of fear, accused the Governor of plotting to demolish the buildings, expressing his disappointment in what he referred to as “the Governor’s undue interference in legislative matters”.

He further alleged that the Governor mobilized thugs to his official residence and invaded the official residence of members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who he said escaped from him by jumping through the fence and breaking the back gate.

The Governor, who took a walk round the facility, said that he decided to visit the place to get better appreciation of what needs to be done to make the quarters conducive for lawmakers, especially, with the emergence of a new Speaker of the Assembly.

“Is the Assembly quarters not part of my property? Is there anything wrong in going to check how things are going on there?”

“You are aware of the developments. We have a new speaker, and I went there to see for my myself how things are. There might be a few things I might want to do there for the good of our people.”

Martins Amaewhule and his co-travelers, who had since ceased to be members of the State Assembly upon their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on which platform they were elected into office, had allegedly continued to rile the Governor with purported amendments to different laws in the State.

Days ago, Governor Fubara declared that the erstwhile lawmakers were no longer members of the State Assembly, stressing that his peace overtures to them were rebuffed, adding that he was focused on governance of the State.

Days after, the member representing Bonny Constituency, Victor Oko-Jumbo was elected as the new Speaker of the Assembly, a move many close watchers of the events in the State deem a signpost that the Governor’s camp had declared full hostilities against their opponents.