A Form 48 has been issued by the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt against the former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, and his deputy, Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol, citing contempt of court.
This issuance follows an application by the current Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Ehie Ogerenye Edison, and the Rivers State House of Assembly. The application was based on the disobedience of a court order dated November 7, 2023.
In the case with suit number FHC/PH/CS/240/2023, filed by the Rivers State House of Assembly and Rt. Hon. (Barr) Ehie Ogerenye Edison, the court had directed all parties to refrain from taking any action related to the subject matter of the suit before the court.
The defendants named in the case include Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule (Former Speaker, Rivers House of Assembly), Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol (Former Deputy Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly), the Inspector General of Police, the Director of the Department of State Security Services in Rivers State, and the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State.
However, on Monday, the House of Assembly, led by Amaewhule, conducted its proceedings at the Assembly complex with alleged police protection, deliberating on various issues in defiance of the court’s order.
Edison, in the processes filed in court, accused the former speaker of invading the Rivers State House of Assembly and supposedly holding a sitting of the House in obvious violation of the order of the court for parties to maintain status quo.
However, in view of this, the court entered Form 48 titled ‘Notice of Consequences of Disobedience of Order of Court’, dated November 22, 2023 and signed by the registrar of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt Judicial Division.
The notice issued in the case presided over by Justice Phoebe Ayua warned that the contemnors would be liable to be committed to prison unless they obey the order of the Court and maintain status quo.
It read: “To: 1. Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule (Former Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, House of Assembly Complex, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State) 2. Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol (Former Deputy, Speaker State House of Assembly, Complex, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State).
“Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in this order, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”
Recall that Justice Ayua, upon an application by Rt. Hon. Ehie Edison and the Rivers State House of Assembly, issued an order directing all parties to the Rivers Assembly crisis to maintain the status and not to take any step concerning the subject matter of the suit until the determination of the motion on notice and adjourned till November 27, 2023.
