Rivers crisis: Ugochinyere has thrown caution, decorum to the wind

The Rivers State House of Representatives caucus has called on the leadership of the Green Chamber to call the lawmaker representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency in Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, to order following his interventions in the ongoing political crisis in the state.

This is just as the caucus accused Ugochinyere of knowing nothing about the crisis that has pitched 27 lawmakers of the Rivers House of Assembly and 23 former Local Government Chairmen against the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

Recall that on June 18, 2024, Ugochinyere, at a press conference in Abuja, called on the governor to charge the 23 former council bosses for treason, for staying out in their offices despite the expiration of their three-year tenure.

In a statement issued on Friday, the leader of the caucus, Dumnamene Dekor, accused Ugonchinyere of offering himself to be used as a “veritable tool,” in a matter he has little or no knowledge about.

Dekor, who represents Gokanna/Khana Federal Constituency in Rivers state on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party also accused Ugochinyere of peddling half-truths and outright falsehood, adding that his utterances on the crisis are an assault on the ongoing legal processes aimed at resolving the crisis.

The statement read in part, “The attention of the Rivers caucus in the House of Representatives has been drawn to yet another unfortunate and misleading press briefing by Ikenga Ugochinyere on Tuesday 18th, on the ongoing disagreement between the governor of Rivers State and the House of Assembly, and latterly, Local Government Chairmen.

“We hereby publicly call on the leadership of the House of Representatives to take urgent steps to discipline and rein in this errant member who is gradually bringing disrepute to the House and soliciting the support of some gullible members without disclosing fully to them his pecuniary interest.

“Since the disagreement, Ugochinyere has thrown caution, decorum, and responsible conduct – expected of the high office he now occupies – to the wind. He has, instead, put himself forward as a veritable tool and an agent provocateur for a cause he knows nothing about and for no other reason except to feather his nest.

“His latest sponsored intervention is laden with all the ingredients that characterised all his previous outings: blackmail, half-truths, misinformation and disinformation, and malicious propaganda.

“In every instance, his prejudicial media statements also constitute a thoughtless assault on due process and ongoing judicial processes aimed at resolving the disagreement in Rivers. As our colleague who sits in the House of Representatives today courtesy of the judgment of a court, that is beyond embarrassing.

“As a caucus, we consider Ugochinyere an insignificant twerp in the social space and, particularly, in the grand scheme of Rivers politics. To begin with, he is not from Rivers State. So his political value is unquestionably non-existent, except to those who are naive enough to fall for his cheap gimmicks.”

The caucus attributed the lawmaker’s foray into Rivers politics to what it called “Exuberant infantilism”, adding that with time, he would focus on the things that matter.

It added, “We had put Ugochinyere’s deplorable behaviour down to exuberant infantilism, which sometimes affects some new members, and had hoped that his apparent lack of understanding of his duties as a federal lawmaker would diminish as he grows into his new position.

“We were wrong. One year into his term as a lawmaker, Hon Ugochinyere has rather doubled down on infamy, dishonour, and disreputable behaviour details of which we have at our disposal.

“The current situation in Rivers State does not concern Ugochinyere in any way because he is from Imo State, a state that is grappling with myriad political and social issues of its own in respect of which Ugochinyere cannot find his voice. The disagreement in Rivers has never been brought to the floor of the House of Representatives to warrant other members’ intervention in a debate.

“Unarguably, Ugochinyere’s actions (in the guise of representation) outside of the House impinge on the privileges of members of this caucus, the integrity of the House itself, and constitute a reckless violation of the constitution vide Sections 49 and 72.”