By Solomon OKPO
An Ijaw leader, His Royal Highness Anabs Sara-Igbe, has faulted ongoing actions by the National Assembly against Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, insisting that the law does not permit a public officer to be punished twice for the same alleged offence.
Sara-Igbe made the assertion in a video interview aired on SYMFONI TV, where he expressed concern over what he described as constitutional overreach by the National Assembly following presidential intervention in the Rivers political crisis.
According to the traditional ruler, President Bola Tinubu had earlier urged the National Assembly to invoke its powers under Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution, which the lawmakers exercised by confirming certain appointments and passing an appropriation law for the state.
He, however, questioned the legality of further demands on the governor, particularly the call for the presentation of another appropriation bill.
“Mr. President asked the National Assembly to exercise their powers under Section 4, and they did that by confirming certain appointments. They did that by passing an appropriation law, and you are now asking the governor to present another appropriation law. Can there be two appropriation laws for this state?” he queried.
Sara-Igbe also dismissed allegations that Governor Fubara undermined or destroyed the Rivers State House of Assembly, stressing that the Assembly remains an established constitutional institution.
He referenced a Supreme Court judgment on the matter, noting that regardless of differing interpretations of the ruling, subsequent political developments had already overtaken it.
More pointedly, the Ijaw leader invoked the legal principle against double jeopardy, arguing that Governor Fubara had already faced punishment for the alleged infractions.
“You are accusing the man of destroying the Assembly. The Assembly is already established. The Supreme Court made the judgment, rightly or wrongly, but events have overtaken it. The law states clearly that you cannot punish a person twice for the same offence,” Sara-Igbe said.
He further contended that former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, had already sanctioned Fubara by suspending him for six months, a penalty he said should be regarded as having exhausted any lawful consequences for the accusations against the governor.
“For all these allegations, the former governor has already punished the current governor by suspending him for six months. In law, he has already served those terms and punishments,” he added.
Sara-Igbe’s comments add a fresh legal and political dimension to the ongoing Rivers State crisis, as tensions continue between the executive arm and federal lawmakers over governance and constitutional authority in the state.
The Evangelist News
