RIVERS EMERGENCY | MIXED REACTIONS TRAIL INAUGURATION OF 21-MEMBER HOUSE COMMITTEE

The recent inauguration of a 21-member ad hoc committee by the House of Representatives to oversee the emergency rule in Rivers State has drawn mixed reactions from political observers and commentators.

Speaking on Voice of the People (VOP) radio on Wednesday morning, political analyst and public affairs commentator, Hon. Ejiofor Egwuatu, criticized the move, describing it as lacking constitutional depth. He argued that the ongoing crisis in Rivers State is rooted in the breakdown of democratic structures, which the House should have addressed more directly.

“The real issue is the absence of a functioning democratic framework in the state,” Egwuatu said. “Rather than setting up a committee to interface with a sole administrator whose legitimacy is questionable, the House should have taken a more constitutionally grounded approach.”

He added that the National Assembly has the power to defend the Constitution and could have used the moment to highlight where the democratic breakdown occurred, rather than providing what he called “advisory cover” to an unelected administrator.

The committee, inaugurated earlier in the week, has been tasked with monitoring the implementation of federal directives and ensuring that governance in Rivers remains within legal bounds during the interim administration. However, critics argue that such oversight must be rooted in broader democratic consultation and constitutional clarity.