Rivers Lawmaker Says Assembly Members Got Constituency Funds Under Emergency Rule

A member of the Rivers State House of Assembly has said that legislators in the 10th Assembly were given money for constituency projects while the state was under a six-month state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu.

Justina Emeji, the Deputy Chief Whip of the Assembly and representative of Emohua Constituency, made this known on Thursday at the commissioning of one of her projects, the Echonwere Royal Hall, located in Okporowo Ogbakiri in Emohua Local Government Area.

According to Emeji, the funds came from the administrator of the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), during the emergency period. She explained that the town hall was driven by her commitment to keep the promises she made to voters about quality representation.

She said the money was released to lawmakers for constituency projects under the emergency rule, and that the Speaker urged her and other members to deliver projects that would make their constituents proud and leave a lasting memory.

Emeji noted that she conducted a needs assessment and held extensive consultations with residents across the 14 wards of Emohua LGA before starting the projects. Beyond the completed town hall, she said seven other constituency projects focused on the people are currently underway in the local government area.

The ongoing projects, which she said would bring positive change, include a lodge for corps members at Oduoha Ogbakiri, a market at Isiodu Emohua, six classroom blocks at Ibaa Community, teachers' quarters at Akpabu, six classroom blocks at Egbeda and another six classroom blocks at Ovogo Community.

At the event, Emeji also gave out N30m as an empowerment fund to 150 beneficiaries selected from the 14 wards of Emohua LGA. She expressed gratitude to her colleagues in the Assembly for their backing, calling them people of integrity.

"These people you are seeing here are integrity group. You know, we have 27 lawmakers. Only 12 disciples of Christ, and you have a Judas, but among 27 Assembly members in Rivers State, there is no Judas," she said.

She also commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for his leadership and direction. "I want to thank our leader, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, for bringing all of us together. We are following in his footsteps in terms of delivering our mandate and guidance. God will bless him and his family," she said.

Emeji dedicated the project to her late parents. "I don't know where my father is, but I know he's dancing here. Every day he wanted to do this, and I've done it. I know he's very happy, same as my mother too. May their souls rest in peace," she said.

In his remarks, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, praised Emeji as a reliable member of the 10th Assembly and a strong representative of her constituents. He said the town hall was one of the projects she nominated for her constituency after consulting with the people, who requested it, and that she made sure it was properly supervised and completed.

Amaewhule stressed that representation is a key duty of a legislator, which involves understanding the needs and aspirations of the people and collaborating with government to meet them. He pointed out that Emeji has seven other ongoing projects, which he said shows she is serving her people well, and added that the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly has members who are effectively representing their constituents and fulfilling their mandates.

The Speaker promised that constituency projects would be delivered across all constituencies before the end of the 10th Assembly and the 2027 general elections.

Amaewhule also called on Rivers people to vote for President Bola Tinubu, the Rivers All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Kingsley Chinda, and all candidates under the Rainbow Coalition in the state led by Nyesom Wike.

"Rivers people have already decided the way forward. We have a leader, His Excellency Ezenwo Nyesom Wike. He is leading us very well. Going forward next year when we are going to cast our votes in January, Rivers people know where to vote," he said. "We will cast our votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Also, we are going to vote for all candidates under the Rainbow Coalition."

On the governorship race, Amaewhule said, "The governorship election is also very important to us, and I have been duly informed that the Emohua people have resolved that next year when it's time to vote for who will take over in the Brick House (the seat of power in the state), we will vote no other person than Representative Kingsley Ogundu Chinda and his deputy, Hon. Major Jack."

The state of emergency was declared in Rivers State in March 2025 amid a political crisis. President Tinubu subsequently suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Prof. Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the State House of Assembly. He also appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), a former Chief of Naval Staff, as administrator to oversee the state's affairs during the period.

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