The five members of
the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the minister of state for
Education, Barrister Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, have accused the Senate Committee on
State and Local Government Administration, investigating the recent crisis in
the House of Assembly, of bias.
Leader of the five
lawmakers and member representing Ogu/Bolo constituency in the House, Hon Evans
Bapakaye Bipi, who made the allegation while speaking to newsmen in Port
Harcourt, said that members of the Senate committee, on arrival in the state
went to see Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, instead of going to see the
hospitalised lawmaker, Hon Michael Okechukwu Chinda.
Bipi said; “I told
members of the committee that I was disappointed; I pray that they give us a
fair hearing because they came in and went straight to the Government House,
where they wined and dined with the governor, who is also an interested party.
Instead of going to the hospital to see the lawmaker who was brutalised, went
instead to Government House.
“That same day, the
Deputy Inspector-General of Police came and went straight to the hospital to
see the injured lawmaker, Hon Chinda. The DIG was so moved that he told
Nigerians that the perpetrators of the act must be brought to justice.”
He stated that the
presence of Senators Magnus Ngei Abe and Wilson Asinobi Ake at the venue of the
meeting between the committee and the five lawmakers inside Presidential Hotel,
Port Harcourt, further convinced them that members of the committee were biased
in their attempt to find solution to the lingering political crisis in the
state.
The lawmaker said; “We
were called by the committee to meet with them at Presidential Hotel and when
we got there, we saw two interested parties, Senator Magnus Abe and Senator
Wilson Ake. I was uncomfortable and I asked the committee chairman to tell the
two men to leave since they are interested parties.”
Bipi explained that
the injured lawmaker, who represents Obio/Akpor Constituency II in the House,
was flown abroad for treatments as doctors at the Saint Patrick’s Hospital,
Ogbunabali, Port Harcourt noticed that the head injuries he sustained during
the fracas could affect his memory.
Meanwhile, the Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has called on the Police Service Commission (PSC) to
address the causes rather than the symptoms of the crisis in Rivers State in
its investigation into the role of the police in the flare-up in the State
House House of Assembly last week.
In a statement issued
in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
the party said that the statement credited to PSC Chairman Mike Okiro suggested
that his commission was only interested in the role of the police in last
week’s clashes, rather than how the police hierarchy in the state wantonly
allowed the flare-up simply because it was acting to protect certain interests
at the expense of public interest.
‘’Governor Amaechi has
documented, in a much-publicised letter to Mr Okiro, how the Police
Commissioner in Rivers, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, has thrown professionalism to the
winds in pursuing his narrow agenda at the expense of the security of the
state.
Also, Dino Melaye’s
Anti-Corruption Network has issued one week ultimatum to the Inspector-General
of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, to transfer the Rivers State Commissioner of
Police, Mr Joseph Mbu over his alleged role in the face-off between the
Presidency and Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
The anti-corruption
group stressed that if the IGP failed to transfer Mr Mbu, it would mobilise the
masses and occupy the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
In a related
development, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), South East has condemned
the attitude of five members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who tried to
impose their will on the overwhelming majority of 27 members of the House
because of alleged backing by the presidency.
The leadership of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said that the Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN) was plotting to destabilise the system for reiterating the call
for impeachment of President Goodluck Jonathan over the recent crisis in Rivers
State House of Assembly,
Describing the call as
unserious and lacking direction the PDP said that brawls in parliament were
common features across the world and wondered why the recent fray in Rivers
House of Assembly translated into an impeachable offense on the part of the
President.
In a release issued in
Enugu at the weekend, by its zonal Zonal Director, Barrister Olu Omotayo, and
made available to newsmen, CLO described the action of the rebellious law
makers as unconstitutional, and said that it was a serious threat to the
nation’s had earned democracy.
“The cause of these
reoccurring problems of impeachment in Nigeria lies in the erroneous belief of
successive Presidents that state governors can only enjoy their tenure if
they are submissive to the president, which is not the true position in
federalism and also as regards the provisions of the constitution of Nigeria”.
In another
development, Rivers State governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi has declared the support
of his government for the Nigeria Police, in spite of the ongoing face-off
between the government and the Force, and said that the crisis was an
individual issue which has not affected their cordial relationship.
The deputy
governor of Rivers State, Mr Tele Ikuru who represented the governor at the
launching on Saturday, of N100m Christian Police Chapel building fund, said
that Rivers State remained the biggest supporter of the Nigeria Police.
Source:
Leadership
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