Rivers Assembly Crisis: Court asked to convict ex-speaker, others over contempt

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has been asked to commit former Speaker, Rivers House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and his deputy, Dumle Maol to prison over alleged refusal to obey an order of the court.

Already, the new Speaker, Ehie Edison, has filed Form 48, which is a notice of consequence of disobedience of Court Order against the former speaker and his deputy.

The applicants in the suit are the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Speaker, Ehie Edison, while the alleged contemnors are Amaewhule (former Speaker), Maol (former Deputy Speaker), Inspector General of Police; Director, Department of State Service, Rivers State, and the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State.

The applicants in suit number FHC/PHC/CS/240/2023 alleged that the respondents disobeyed the order of the court made on November 7, 2023, which ordered parties not to take any step concerning the subject matter of the suit before the court.

Edison, in the processes, accused the former Speaker of invading the Rivers State House of Assembly and purportedly holding a sitting of the House in flagrant violation of the order of the court for parties to maintain status.

The Form 48, which is entitled ‘Notice of Consequences of Disobedience of order of court’ is dated November 22, 2023, and signed by the Registrar of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt Judicial Division.

The alleged contemnors were warned that they would be liable to be committed to prison unless they obey the order of the court.

It will be recalled that Justice Phoebe Ayuba of the court upon the application by Edison and the Rivers State House of Assembly issued an order directing parties to the Rivers Assembly crisis to maintain the status and not to take any step concerning the subject matter of the suit until the determination of the motion on notice.

The case has been adjourned to November 27, 2023.