Leadership Rivers Crisis: 5 Lawmakers Accuse Senate C’ttee Of Bias By: Chibuzo Ukaibe, Anayo Onukwugha, Chika Otuchikere, Iorakpen Ishu-Josef, Nnamdi Mbawike on July 15, 2013 - 4:58am 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.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 08:59:51 +0000
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