Rivers Assembly calls on EFCC, ICPC to probe state electoral commission’s finances

The Rivers State House of Assembly led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule has called on the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offenses Commission (ICPC) to investigate the chairperson of the Rivers State electoral body.

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Mr Amaewhule made the call in his remarks during the plenary at the Assembly quarters complex in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

He said that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) Chairman, Adolphus Enebeli, a retired judge, should be investigated for alleged misappropriation of the commission’s funds.

He said that it is the duty of the Rivers State House of Assembly that enacted the state Independent Electoral Commission law and set up the state’s Independent Electoral Commission to exercise oversight over it.

“It is not only constitutional, but it is the convention the world over,” he said.

Mr Amaewhule said that Mr Enebeli and the commissioners of the electoral body came before the House of Assembly for screening and confirmation and admitted that they were not going to live above the Nigerian constitution or the Rivers State’s laws.

He said, “And it is usually the practice that questions are put forth to them, asking them if they will come before the House when questions are needed to be asked.

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“And they also confirmed to us that they will come before the Assembly to answer questions when necessary.

“Today, we are calling on them and they are refusing to honour the summons of this august Assembly.’’

He said that the House is vested with the powers under section 128 of the constitution to invite the commission for investigation, for the chairman and members to answer questions put forward to them.

Mr Amaewhule said that it had become necessary for the House to invite the EFCC and ICPC to assist it, in pursuit of its investigative powers, to find out how funds were spent by the commission.

He said that the anti-graft commissions should also investigate how public funds were expended by the chairman, who is the chief accounting officer of the commission, in a manner that was unknown to the Assembly.

Mr Amaewhule said that there was no approval, no budgetary allocation, no appropriation law, and billions of public funds went down the drain in futile actions.

“It’s important that they come and bring themselves forward for this investigation and that’s exactly what this motion has said,” he explained.

Mr Amaewhule said that the motion and the prayers were voted in favour by 26 members against nil.

ALSO READ: Rivers assembly insists election commission’s chairperson must appear before it

He, however, said that the House did not condemn the refusal of the RSIEC’s chairman and others who failed to subject themselves to investigation by it.

He said the House rather agreed to invite the bankers to the RSIEC to produce the commission’s bank statements from 1 January 2024 to date.

Mr Amaewhule said that the power to also investigate the government of River State was rested on the Assembly by virtue of the provisions of section 128 of the Nigerian constitution.

(NAN)