Amaechi versus Mbu: Reps probe Rivers security The House of Representatives is disturbed by the degenerating security situation in Rivers State, following the face-off between Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Commissioner of Police Mbu Joseph Mbu. The House, also yesterday named a 14-man ad hoc Committee to investigate oil theft . The lawmakers mandated House Committees on Police Affairs and Justice to liaise with the Police Affairs Commission, the Inspector General of Police(IGP) and the Rivers State Government to fashion out ways of improving the working relationship between the Rivers State Police and the state government. They are to report back to the House within one week. Peter Edeh (ANPP, Ebonyi), who raised the motion as a matter of urgent public importance, said: “The motion was meant to find means of guaranteeing safety of the people of the state based on the prevailing circumstances because a former militant has raised the alarm that there is a build- up of arms in the state. “This is not good for the state because both the governor and the police chief can guarantee their own safety but the safety of the masses is not guaranteed.” Edeh reeled out instances of altercations between the two whereby the governor dared the police chief to shoot him while the Police chief labelled the governor dictator. “Those statements have shown that the working relationship has completely broken down between the two. “Meanwhile, Section 14 (l)b of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) empowers the governor to give directives to the Police Commissioner, but in this instance, the question is, ‘has the governor given such directive?’ We don’t know,” Edeh added. He noted that it is more worrisome that Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar has so far refrained from addressing this matter or commenting on it publicly. The lawmaker noted that on the basis of the prevailing circumstances, the legislators’ intervention became imperative. Edeh said: “We need to intervene if we want Rivers State to be safe and the people sleep with their two eyes closed”. Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, who presided, put the motion to voice vote and it was unanimously carried. Ihedioha announced the 14-member ad hoc committee on the investigation of oil theft with Bashir Adamu, Chairman Committee on Defence as Chairman. Others are Chairman Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Dakuku Peterside, Chairman, Committee on Finance, Abdulmumin Jibrin, Chairman Interior Committee, Umar Bature, Chairman, Marine Transport Committee, Ugwuanyi Ifeanyi, Tajudeen Yusuf, Opeyemi Bamidele, Sokonte Davies, Edie Mbadiwe, Nnenna Ukeje and Aisha Ahmed. In Port Harcourt, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Worgu Boms urged the Police Commissioner to act within the law. Boms said Mbu should discharge his responsibilities within the precepts of law and not allow himself to be used by political forces against the state and Amaechi. The Attorney-General bemoaned Mbu’s utterances and conduct which, he said, could lead to anarchy and decried his ban on street processions. Boms said the Police Commissioner had no legal power to ban protests, explaining that the Public Order Act authorises only the Governor to grant permission for a street procession. “The Commissioner of Police is a Commissioner of Police and not a lawmaker or a law interpreter – functions that statutorily and constitutionally belong to the Parliament and the Judiciary, respectively. The Commissioner of Police is only a law enforcer and no more. Yet, being neither a lawmaker nor a law interpreter, he (Mbu) has continued to act in both capacities through his speeches and conduct all of which have combined to signpost a preference for anarchy in place of observance and maintenance of law and order for which the Police are established and for which he was employed. Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar yesterday said his office had not received a petition from the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi calling for the redeployment of the Rivers Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu. Abubakar stated this while responding to reporters inquiries when eight police detectives were recognised for outstanding performance. Governor Amaechi had called for the redeployment of Mbu for what the governor described as the worsening security situation in Rivers State. The governor and the police commissioner have been at daggers drawn over the festering political crisis in the state in which the police boss is perceived to have taken sides with Abuja forces against the governor’s camp.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Jul 2013 06:29:04 +0000
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