Rivers Government has begun the demolition of the House of Assembly complex to give way for its rebuilding, following the recent fire that gutted parts of the building.
The demolition started at about 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday with the chambers and auditorium.
The process is in progress and may other segments of the building may be affected.
Meanwhile, the Edison Ehie-led four-member faction of the assembly has officially relocated sittings to the Government House.
While the demolition was ongoing, the House, presided over by it’s factional Speaker, Edison Ehie (PDP-Ahoada 11), has commenced sitting.
During the sitting marking the first official plenary, Mr Adulphus Timothy (PDP-Opobo/Nkoro) was elected Leader of the factional assembly.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that amongst other rulings, the High Court in the state had considered the request brought forward by the Governor, Mr Siminialayi Fubara, to allow for temporary relocation of the parliament’s sittings to a more conducive atmosphere.
According to the governor’s request, the relocation will ensure that legislative business of the house remained uninterrupted while renovation on the Assembly building took effect.
WHY WE DEMOLISHED
The Rivers Government has attributed the demolition of the state House of Assembly Complex to structural defects arising from explosion and fire outbreak.
Mr Joseph Johnson, the state’s Commissioner for Information, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.
Johnson said that the incident rendered the building unfit for human use, saying that there were visible cracks on the walls and the entire structure looked frail and unsafe for legislative business.
He said that professional advice was sought on the integrity of the building, after Gov. Siminalaye Fubara’s inspection visit to determine the level of damage.
“After the assessment of the integrity of the complex, experts warned the government that continuing to use the building in its present state would be disastrous.
‘’The government had tried all cost saving measures towards the repair of the complex until it bowed to superior view of rebuilding the complex to a more befitting edifice.
‘’In the interim, the Rivers Government has provided an alternative venue for the House of Assembly to conduct its affairs pending the rebuilding of the complex,’’ Johnson said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the assembly was attacked in October, after an attempt by some lawmakers to initiate impeachment proceedings against the governor and this divided the house into two factions, creating tension in the state.
