Rivers Crisis: Court To Hear Contempt Suit Against Former Speaker, Deputy, November 27

Barring any last-minute change, Justice Phoebe Ayua of a Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, will on Monday, November 27, 2023, entertain a contempt suit against the former speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and his deputy, Dumle Maol.

Already, the court has issued Form 48 against the former speaker and his deputy (Amaewhule and Maol respectively) for alleged contempt of the court.

The issuance of form 48 came consequent upon an application instituted by Ehie Ogerenye Edison and the state House of Assembly for allegedly disobeying the order of the court made on November 7, 2023.

In the suit designated FHC/PH/CS/240/2023, initiated by the Rivers State House of Assembly as the first plaintiff and Edison as the second plaintiff, the judge had ordered the parties in the legal action not to take any steps concerning the subject of the suit before the court.

However, the legislative house under Amaewhule had sat at the Assembly complex under alleged police coverage and deliberated on several issues.

But Edison, who came up with the claim that he was elected by 26 members of the House of Assembly as the new speaker, filed the suit, accusing Amaewhule of invading the Assembly complex and purportedly holding a sitting of the House in flagrant violation of the order of the court for parties to maintain existing state of affairs.

As a result of this development, Justice Ayua entered Form 48 titled ‘Notice of Consequences of Disobedience of Order of Court’, dated November 22, 2023, and signed by the Registrar of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt Judicial Division.

In the notice as issued by the court, Justice Ayua gave a warning that the defendants would be liable to be committed to prison unless they obeyed the order of the court and maintained the existing state of affairs.

The notice read: “To: 1. Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule (Former Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, House of Assembly Complex, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State) 2. Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol (Former Deputy, Speaker State House of Assembly, Complex, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State).

“Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in this order, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”

It would be recalled that the judge had upon the application of the new speaker and the Rivers State House of Assembly given an order mandating all parties to the Rivers Assembly crisis to maintain their status.

The court had further asked the parties not to take any step concerning the subject of the suit until the determination of the motion on notice.

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