Bipi, who spoke to Sunday Tribune in an exclusive interview, said he would not as a result of intimidation by anyone step down as the speaker of the Rivers Assembly, claiming the judgment the Amaechi group was citing was an interim injunction which would lapse only after seven days.
Speaking further, Bipi noted that the insinuations by the Amaechi group that Dame Patience Jonathan was behind his activities were not true, saying “let them leave the First Lady out of this.”
According to Bipi, the Amaechi group had gone to the local High Court in Ahoada, a local government council in Rivers State, to get the injunction because they knew their case had no merit, thereby leaving out competent federal and state High Courts in Port Harcourt.
“The police have said they have not received any injunction from any court, neither have I. In any case, the injunction they are quoting will lapse tomorrow, Monday, December 23, 2013. Let’s see what other gimmick they will play again,” he said.
Bipi, who stated that immediately he was elected speaker, the Amaechi group had ran to the National Assembly asking it to take over the legislative functions of the state assembly, said: “I was the one who went to court and I secured judgment reversing the decision of the National Assembly to take over the functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Now, they are trying to reap where they did not sow, trying to hijack the leadership of the House. This cannot work,” he warned.
Bipi added that the Amaechi group has been holding nocturnal meetings and spreading spurious information to advance their desperate cause, saying that no amount of blackmail could make him jettison his resolve of liberating the people of Rivers State from Amaechi’s oppression.
He added that the issue of fake mace said to be in his possession was one of the propaganda unleashed by the Amaechi group, saying it was Amaechi himself hiding a mace he bought and used when he was speaker of the state assembly.
Said Bipi, “when Amaechi was speaker, he bought a mace for the House which he used. When he finished his term, he took this mace to his house. His successor bought another mace. However, during the current legislative session, another mace was bought.”
“ The two maces, including that used by Amaechi’s successor as speaker are with the sergeant at arms. We should ask Amaechi where he kept the mace and what he is doing with it,” he queried.
He noted that Amaechi might be rushing to open the state assembly in the bid to cover his activities during the months he operated as sole administrator while the state assembly was in limbo or to rush his 2014 budget. He advised the governor to follow the right channel, rather than dissipating energy in trying to block the wishes of the assembly that made him speaker.
Source: Tribune
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