Court stops NASS from taking over functions of Rivers House of Assembly

A Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the National Assembly from taking over the functions of Rivers State House of Assembly.

The court presided over  Justice Ahmed Ramat Muhammed nullified the resolution of the National Assembly that gave it powers to take over the functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

NASS had resolved following the crisis rocking the legislature in the state to take over the legislative functions of the state assembly as stipulated by the constitution.

But the court ordered the National Assembly to stop performing the legislative functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Justice Muhammed held that as at the time the National Assembly took over the affairs of the Rivers State House of Assembly, there were no facts that the Assembly was unable to carry out its functions as provided under the constitution.

He was ruling on a suit filed by two lawyers, Messrs Tamunotemi Asobari and John Kpakol but argued by Mr Ade Okeaya-Inneh, SAN.

According to him,  by provisions of section 11(4) and (5) of the constitution, the National Assembly cannot assume the law making functions of the Assembly when there were no facts that the Assembly was unable to carry out its functions.

He therefore declared the action of NASS as unconstitutional and consequently nullified the resolution passed by the Senate mandating the Senate Committee on States and Local Government Areas to investigate the crisis rocking the Rivers State House of Assembly, and especially the disagreement between the Rivers State Governor and the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State and.