By Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja
There is a particular scene in the Godfather III movie that reminds me of the recent actions of Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule.
In that scene a Reverend Father of the Catholic church took the protagonist, Michael Corleone to a fountain of water inside the Vatican. He picked up one of the stones/pebbles from inside the pond.
The Reverend Father cracks the said stone/pebble and although the outside is wet, the inside is dry as harmattan.
Then the Reverend Father tells Michael Corleone that this is how majority of the Cardinals of the Catholic church at the Vatican are like that stone/pebble.
Even though they have resided inside the Vatican for years, the waters (teachings and practices) of the Catholic church have not penetrated into their hearts and minds enough to influence and affect their words and actions!!!
Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule was first elected into the Rivers State House of Assembly in the year 2011.
So this year makes it 14 (fourteen years) of his continuous membership of the Rivers State House of Assembly (apart from the brief period that this Governor Fubara refused to recognise him as a legitimate member of the said Assembly following his defection to the APC in December 2023 until February 28th 2025)!!!
However, it appears that the Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule is like that proverbial stone/pebble that has been inside a pond filled with water but not allowing the water to penetrate inside him.
In this instance, it is even more worrisome because since the demolition of the premises of the Rivers State House of Assembly in December 2023, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule literally lives and sleeps inside both the Rivers State House of Assembly staff quartets which doubles as both his residence and the hallowed chambers of the Rivers State House of Assembly in Port Harcourt.
The evidence that Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule has ever the course of these 14 years not mastered the legislative practice and procedures is evident by the series of ultimatums that he is issuing since his resumption after the Supreme Court of Nigeria judgment of 28th February 2025.
Even a first year law student or a secondary school student who studies Constitutional law or Government knows that the issuances of ultimatums is not the constitutionally recognised method of communications between the legislature and the Executive Arms of government!!
Even more revealing of his shallow or absolute lack of understanding of legislative procedures are two letters authored by the Clerk to the Rivers State House of Assembly and Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule respectively. Both letters are dated 5th February 2025 and addressed to the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and His Excellency, Governor of Rivers State respectively.
For those who are acquainted with the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2018 and the litany of Supreme Court of Nigeria judgments on the subject matter, at least seven days from the date of the letter is usually regarded as sufficient notice for the recipients. And also, an attachment of the referenced Resolution of the Rivers State House of Assembly (in the form of an extract of the Hansard which is a verbatim report of the debates on the floor of the plenary of the said House or legislature) is required.
In the said letters, none of such Legislative practice and procedures is complied with by either the alleged Clerk or the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly respectively.
Another evidence of his lack of understanding of the ambits of the legislative powers conferred upon both himself and the Rivers State House of Assembly is his insistence on usurping the powers of His Excellency, Governor of Rivers State to take the initiative to appoint and terminate the Commissioners and political appointees of the those serving in the Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) of the Rivers State Government.
In one instance, he purportedly amended the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission to confer upon himself and the Rivers State House of Assembly the power to appoint the members of the said Commission. Of course, a competent court of law has since repealed the said amendment by Amaewhule for being in conflict with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution which confers such powers of appointment upon His Excellency, Governor of Rivers State.
Amaewhule’s uncommon hurry and rush is also worrisome and again reveals his lack of understanding of legislative practice and procedures!!!
Ideally, the enactment of laws by the Rivers State House of Assembly ought to undergo the seven stages of the Law-making process such as first reading, second reading, Third reading, Public Hearing and engrossment and submission of a clean copy to His Excellency for assent.
However, a study of majority of the Bills enacted by Amaewhule’s tenure before his defection were characterised by uncharacteristic hurry which cuts off the public hearing stage.
And majority of these laws were not in the public interest but to protect and promote the interests of his political friends such as the erstwhile Chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State whose tenures were extended by Amaewhule through an illegal amendment of the Rivers State Local Government Law, 2018.
One worrisome aspect uncharacteristic hurry is his refusal to exercise patience and wait for the final determination of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the issue of whether himself and the 26 others are still legitimate members of the Rivers State House of Assembly after their defection to the APC in December 2023.
During this period, Amaewhule ought to take the time to acquaint himself with the legislative practice and procedures by taking time to attend courses on legislative practice and procedures. Amaewhule is supposed to embark on study visits and exchange programmes at the Parliaments of the United Kingdom or even African countries like South Africa to observe first-hand how legislative sessions are conducted.
Amaewhule is supposed to invest money on buying and reading such authoritative books like Erskine May Parliamentary Procedure (2019) published by Lexis Nexis.
Even time spent on YOUTUBE watching the live sessions and streaming of the plenary sessions of the National Assembly can benefit Amaewhule a lot.
For example, during today’s plenary of the Senate of the National Assembly, Senator Orji Kalu made a compassionate appeal for the salaries and allowances of the Aides and support staff of Senator Natasha not to be affected during the six months suspension.
That is a master-class in Legislative diplomacy that Amaewhule can learn from.
Even when dealing with a so-called enemy, a wise legislator would exercise caution so as not to inflict collateral damage.
Amaewhule ought to learn and apply this Legislative diplomacy in his dealings with His Excellency Governor Fubara whom he perceives as an enemy!!!
By Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja,
Executive Director,
Nigerian Law Society (NLS)
