The suspended members of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, led by embattled Speaker Martins Amaewhule, have departed for the United Kingdom on a legislative training tour, despite the ongoing political crisis in the state.
The lawmakers, who have been at the center of a prolonged power tussle with the suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, reportedly left the country to participate in a program aimed at enhancing their legislative expertise through exposure to international parliamentary practices.
Their trip comes after a period of relative silence following President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the crisis, which included the declaration of a political state of emergency in the state. Despite their suspension, it has been reported that the lawmakers and their families continue to reside in official quarters at the legislative estate in Port Harcourt.
In a statement released by Martins Wachukwu, the Special Assistant on Media to Speaker Amaewhule, the training tour officially began on Friday.
Wachukwu noted that the objective of the UK visit is to improve the lawmakers’ legislative performance and deepen their understanding of global best practices in governance.
This development raised questions about the status and privileges of the suspended legislators amidst the unresolved political impasse in Rivers State.
