Despite their suspension, pro-Wike lawmakers from the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, have departed Nigeria for a legislative tour in the United Kingdom.
Their departure was confirmed in a statement issued by Amaewhule’s Special Assistant on Media, Martins Wachukwu, who noted that the Speaker had officially declared open the 10th Rivers Assembly Legislative Tour of the UK on Friday.
According to Amaewhule, the purpose of the tour is to expose members of the House to global legislative practices that could enhance their effectiveness back home.
He claimed that the legislative tour would allow the House to learn new things outside the shores of Nigeria, which would improve the capacity of members for the tasks ahead.
The opening ceremony of the five-day tour took place in Central London and featured discussions centered on “Legislative Dynamics in the Presidential and Parliamentary Systems.”
Principal officers and members in attendance expressed hope that the programme would offer fresh perspectives and opportunities for peer review to strengthen parliamentary oversight.
They expressed optimism that the tour would provide another opportunity for peer review and gainful insights for parliamentary oversight.
The trip comes amid lingering political tension in Rivers State, which has led to the declaration of state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu after all attempts to broker peace between Suspended Governor Siminalaye Fubara and former Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), whom the lawmakers pay allegiance to, proved abortive.
