Bayelsa Assembly Rejects Court of Appeal Ruling on Ebebi

THE Bayelsa State House of Assembly has headed for the Supreme Court to challenge last Wednesday’s ruling by the Appeal Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, that the impeached Deputy Governor of the state, Peremobowei Ebebi, be reinstated.

Through its counsel, Sebastian Hon (SAN), the House has also filed another motion in the same Court of Appeal, seeking an order for a stay of execution of the earlier order on Ebebi’s reinstatement as deputy governor.

Similarly, the State Executive Council (SEC) at its meeting has declared its total support for the incumbent Deputy Governor, Werinipre Seibarogu, and rejected any legal attempt to reinstate Ebebi.

The SEC, at the meeting which lasted for several hours and chaired by Governor Timipre Sylva, deliberated on Wednesday’s ruling of the Appeal Court and affirmed that though the House had embarked on the legal journey to protect its right as a legislative body, it would only recognise Seibarogu as deputy governor.

While confirming the development to newsmen in Yenagoa, the state capital, the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Nathan Egba, said the action of the Assembly was separate from the decision of the SEC.

Egba quoted the governor as saying that “just as it is impossible to force a servant on an unwilling master, so also it will be difficult to force a deputy governor not willing to work in harmony with his master on him”.

The commissioner noted that all members of the executive council were in attendance, except for the absence of the Commissioner for Works, Emmanuel Frank-Opigo, and his counterpart in the Sports Ministry, Opukiri Jones-Ere, who were said to have travelled to the United States on official assignment.

Seibarugu was also conspicuously absent at the executive council meeting.

Egba said: “The State Executive Council today passed a vote of explicit confidence on the Deputy Governor, Werinipre Seibarugu and declared that the only deputy governor they know is Seibarugu.”

Though Ebebi’s whereabouts are yet unknown, he is said to be planning for a grand entry to the state from Abuja, while his residence in Yenagoa is hosting his many supporters, who have continued to pay solidarity visits to him.

The state government’s action is coming at a time the leadership of the Conference of the Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), led by Comrade Sunday Frank-Oputu, and the Chairman of Ekeremor Local Government Area (Ebebi’s home council), Eddi Julius, have been appealing to the people to be calm and refrain from fomenting trouble over the Appeal Court ruling.

Julius, last Thursday, advised residents of the council to endeavour to read court judgments before making hasty conclusions that could unnecessarily heat up the polity.