Showing posts with label Rivers Assembly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rivers Assembly. Show all posts

Thursday, 25 July 2013

NASS takes over Rivers Assembly

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke
ABUJA—THE Senate, yesterday, ordered the National Assembly, which comprises the House of Representatives and the Senate to, as a matter of urgency, take over the legislative functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The Senate in its findings and observations after investigation into the crisis in Rivers State, however, fingered President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan in the  crisis following their perceived undue interference with the political security structure of the state as well as what the Senate committee described as alleged high-handedness of Governor Chibuike Amaechi.

According to the Senate yesterday, the take-over of the Rivers House of Assembly was pursuant to Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution(as amended) pending resolution of the lingering political logjam and restoration of peace in the state.

Cartoon-Rivers-crisis

Deliberating on the report of the Senate Committee on States and Local Governments Administration on the Investigation of Crisis in the  state House of Assembly, led by Senator Kabiru Gaya, ANPP, Kano South, the Senate, yesterday, urged the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar to urgently redeploy the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu given the fact that his relationship with Governor Chibuike Amaechi has broken down irretrievably.

Approved Senate committee Report


The prayers of the committee which were approved by the senators read thus:

* That the Inspector-General of Police should as a matter of urgency redeploy the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu since his relationship with the Governor has broken down irretrievably.

* That the National Assembly should as a matter of urgency take over the functions and duties of the Rivers State House of Assembly, pursuant to Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution(as amended) pending the resolution of the crisis and restoration  of peace in Rivers State.”

Meanwhile, Senate President, David Mark while speaking after the prayers were taken by the senators warned that minority members of the Rivers State House of Assembly cannot remove the speaker, just as he said that they should not even contemplate his impeachment, adding that the present National Assembly would resist impunity and unconstitutionality.

According to him, “all we want is for peace to return to Rivers State. Let me add that the National Assembly will uphold and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as we all individually swore to do. This we will do at all times and at all cost. Let me leave no one in doubt that the impunity of the past remains in the past, and the past is gone for good.”

Senator Mark who urged all warring persons involved in the Rivers State crisis to sheathe their swords and embrace peace in the interest of the state and the country, said: "All that is left is for the proper lessons to be learnt from the past. Minority members of the Rivers State House of Assembly cannot remove and should therefore, never contemplate the impeachment of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly or anyone else for that matter and should perish the thought if they ever harboured it. Our institutions of state must also uphold the Constitution at all times and must not in any way encourage the impression that impunity of the past is possible today.

"This National Assembly, for the avoidance of doubt, would resist impunity and unconstitutionality. This is the stand of the Senate. And once more I must emphasise that we remain neutral and we want to see an end to the crisis in Rivers State."

The Committee’s report also stated that the purported impeachment of the Speaker, Otelemaba Daniel Amachree by the five members of the State House of Assembly led by Hon. Evans Bipi was not in compliance with the provisions of Section 92(2)(c) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), and also not in compliance with Orders 12 and 28 of the Rivers State House of Assembly Standing Orders, 1999.

The report stated: "The Committee finds no evidence to support the claim by the five members of the Rivers State House of Assembly that the Speaker was properly impeached and Hon. Evans Bipi elected Speaker.

"Governor Amaechi’s insistence to run for a second term as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF did not go down well with the PDP and the Presidency. The suspension of the Governor of Rivers State by the PDP National Working Committee in Abuja on May 27, 2013 did not go down well with the supporters.”

Senate remains neutral — Mark


Earlier, the senators at a a closed-door meeting  discussed the crisis in Rivers State for over four hours and when they reconvened at the end of the meeting, Senate President, David Mark said: "We spent several hours this morning discussing in great detail the situation in Rivers State. We devoted so many hours because we believe it is important that we look at it from the prism of our own committee that went there to find out exactly what happened. And we are happy we sent our own team to go and investigate and report back to us.

"Our final objective, throughout our discussion, was to ensure that peace returned to Rivers State. That was the focus of the discussion this morning. Our appeal to all the principal actors involved is that unless there is peace in Rivers State they cannot ensure development in the state. We want development across the length and breadth of this country.

Therefore, we use the opportunity once more before we go to the prayers to appeal that all those involved sheathe their swords so that peace can reign in Rivers State. The Committee has not indicted any particular group of people. It has not indicted any section and I don’t think it has indicted any individual. The reason is because we want to ensure that there is peace. The Senate as a body wants to be an integral part of the solution to the problem in Rivers State. We remain neutral.

"We have not taken sides with the groups and we are not going to take sides, but we will stand on facts. When we eventually approve our prayers, those prayers will be based on the facts that are known to us and our neutral position. And we hope that all the parties involved would appreciate that what we want to ensure is peace in Rivers State.”

It's good decision — Abe

Reacting to the decision of the Senate, Senator Magnus Abe, PDP, Rivers South/East while speaking to journalists noted that the Senate acted in a manner that was consistent with its mandate, just as he stressed the need for all to leverage on what the Senate did, adding that the senators acted from an informed position.

Some of the recommendations made by the Committee include:

*That the Senate President should intervene and mediate in the Rivers State political crisis and see to its amicable resolution;

*That all security agencies in Rivers State should complement each other and ensure greater cooperation and inter-dependence in addressing the security situation in the state;

*Urge all heads of security agencies in the state to demonstrate high level of professionalism and ensure full co-operation with the State Governor, who is the Chief Security Officer of the State;

*That the Court of Appeal and the Rivers State High Court be allowed to respectively, determine cases of the removal of the Party Executive and the suspension of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council pending before them in the absence of any resolution to settle out of Court.

*That the Commissioner of Police should comply with the subsisting Court Order directing the Police to vacate Obio/Akpor Local Government Secretariat to enable the workers resume work until the Order is set aside by a Court of competent jurisdiction.

*That the Director- General of State Services(DSS) investigate and cause the prosecution of Hon. Chidi Llyod and all those found to be actively involved in the brutality of Hon. Michael Chinda and other members.

*That Hon. Evans Bipi be investigated and if found culpable, prosecuted for bringing armed thugs into the Chambers and for the assault on the Speaker and other members which precipitated the crisis.

*That the Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi should review and improve on his relationship with stakeholders in the crisis for peace to reign.

*That Governor should revisit all those that claimed their houses were demolished and hotels acquired and if necessary restitution be made where necessary.

*That the Honourable Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Daniel Amachree should reunite the warring members of the House of Assembly.”

Wednesday, 10 July 2013

We 'll investigate role of police in Rivers — IGP

*As 27 lawmakers pledge support to Amaechi, Amachree

BY BEN AGANDE

Abuja—Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday, said the police high command will investigate the role of the police in the fracas at the Rivers State House of Assembly, saying anybody found to have misbehaved would be held accountable.

He said he had dispatched a Deputy Inspector General of Police to Port Harcourt to investigate the situation.

The Inspector General of police’s position came on the heels of thorough scrutiny by the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, by his colleague ministers before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House.

Mohammed-Abubakar

35 soldiers withdrawn from Rivers Govt House

Meanwhile, a top security source confirmed, yesterday, that 35 military men assigned to protect Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State had been withdrawn from Government House, PortHarcourt.

When Vanguard called the Army Public Relations Officer, PRO, in the state, Major Mike Etete, he referred him to the police PRO, DSP Angela Agabe, who also declined comments on the matter.

27 lawmakers back Speaker Amachree

The 27 members of the pro-Amaechi group in the House of Assembly yesterday, reiterated their unflinching loyalty to the speaker of the House,  Otelema Amachree as they dismissed contentions by the group of five that the speaker had been impeached.

[caption id="attachment_403136" align="alignnone" width="412"]Day 2: Rivers House of Assembly crisis Day 2: Rivers House of Assembly crisis[/caption]

In a statement signed by 26 members of the group, they disputed the claim by Evans Bipi that Amachree had been impeached by the group of five members after the fracas of last Tuesday even as they pledged 100 per cent loyalty to Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

They said: “The attention of the undersigned members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have been drawn to the alleged and widely publicized “Impeachment” of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Otelema Daniel Amachree by five sponsored and disgruntled members of the Assembly.

“We state for the benefit of the public that no such situation existed on the floor of the House. These are mere machinations of the five members desperate to do their masters bidding.

“The purported claim by a member of the Assembly, Evans Bapakaye Bipi to be the new speaker of the State Assembly is outrightly false and hallucinations of the most debased form. We urge members of the public and the press to disregard such claims.

“We hereby declare that we are 100 percent behind our Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Dan Amachree even as we are fully in support of our Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.”

Rivers House mayhem, another video

Controversy has continued to trail the mayhem that occurred yesterday at the Rivers State House of Assembly. Here is another video of the fracas.

Tuesday, 9 July 2013

Mayhem in Rivers Assembly ... Four injured

By Abdulwahab Abdallah, Brith Ogunkilede  & Wilson Yafu
Rivers —At least four members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were yesterday brutalised in a fracas that literally painted the walls of the Assembly complex with blood.

At the end of the squabble, the group of five legislators opposed to the governor claimed to have removed Speaker Otelemaba Amachree. Their claim was, however, quickly repudiated by 23 members who flocked in support of the speaker.

[caption id="attachment_403063" align="alignnone" width="412"]House of trouble—Top left: Hon. Evans Bapakaye in a scuffle with  Mobile Police officers during the fight at the Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday in Port Harcourt. Photos: Nwankpa Chijioke House of trouble—Hon. Evans Bapakaye in a scuffle with Mobile Police officers during the fight at the Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday in Port Harcourt. Photos: Nwankpa Chijioke[/caption]

Yesterday’s violent clash happened on the first day of sitting since the political upheaval in the state triggered by removal of the structures of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP from Governor Amaechi about three months ago.

Computers and several valuables in the main chamber of the legislative complex were smashed in the morning violence that was witnessed by security agents who had mounted an unprecedented cordon within and outside the chambers.

The members had been recalled from an indefinite break by Speaker Amachree following a request by Governor Amaechi for an amendment to the 2013 budget of the state.

At about 10.30 a.m. as members sauntered in and engaged themselves in banters awaiting procession of the speaker, the leader of the House, Hon Chidi Lloyd offered a hand to the member representing Ogu-Bolo constituency, Hon Evans Bipi, a newly married member and relation of First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, whose wedding drew the First Lady to Port-Harcourt last month.

A handshake and a slap

Llyod’s gesture of a handshake was rewarded with a slap on the face by Bipi and immediately, the whole house was engulfed in bedlam. In the melee, one of the other four members in the anti-Amaechi camp dashed for the tripod of a television camera and swung it round, hitting at opponents.

He was followed by another lawmaker who went for the mace and smashed it on the head of two lawmakers. The violence continued for some time with security men watching until Governor Amaechi rushed to the scene with his own entourage of security men from Government House who attempted to stop the fracas. Following the intervention, loyalists of the governor followed him back to the Government House.

The remaining four members, however, remained within the chambers and held a session during which it was announced that Amachree be removed as Speaker of the House. In his place, Bipi was announced new Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly by the group of five members. Bipi in his acceptance speech announced the suspension of 15 members whose names he promised would be released subsequently.

Meantime, the other 23 members had received information of what was going on and they quickly dashed back to the chamber and this time, they were in company of the Deputy Governor, Hon. Tele Ikuru.

As they returned, the majority leader, Llyod moved to grab the mace with which the five members were using to sit but he was restrained by Bipi and Hon. Michael Chinda, another anti-Amaechi person, leading to a short fracas in which the group of 23 prevailed.

Bipi quickly then told his remaining three colleagues to join him to visit the fifth member of their camp who had been injured in the earlier fracas following which he was rushed to an undisclosed hospital.

At 11.44 a.m. Speaker Amachree was ushered into the House by the Sergeant-at-Arms, bearing the mace. He was not robed in his usual attire. As he sat on the speaker’s chair to take charge of proceedings, he beckoned on the Clerk of the House to read out the order of the day. About that time, Bipi who had been elected Speaker by three other legislators pushed his way into the gallery. He watched the proceedings briefly from the gallery before he was forced out again by some security operatives. He was accused of coming into the gallery with tear gas, though no one was able to confirm the allegation.

Lawmakers grant Amaechi's budget amendment request

Speaker Amachree in his address to the House said that the governor had written the House seeking an amendment to the sub heads in the 2013 budget relating to some capital projects. Following his short address, he invited the deputy governor, Engr. Ikuru into the chambers at exactly 11.49am.

Ikuru in his remarks thanked the lawmakers for their attention, adding that he was representing the governor. He said he had come to present an executive amendment on the 2013 budget on capital expenditure, stressing that it would enable the government deliver more on its promises to the state.

Following the remarks by Ikuru, the speaker explained that the amendment was not intended to add or remove from the N490 billion budget earlier passed by the Assembly.

“The amendment is only on capital expenditure. We are not adding or removing from the budget. The governor is only asking for movement from one sub head to the other and it is only on capital expenditure”, he said.

The House later asked the Deputy governor to leave at exactly 11.59 while it dissolved into a committee of the entire house where the amendment was granted.

At exactly 12.08 pm the Speaker announced that the amendment had been effected and the House later adjourned.  The Deputy Governor, Engr Ikuru who retired to one of the offices in the complex later joined the Speaker and other principal officers on their way out of the chambers.

How Evans Bipi attempted to attack Speaker, Deputy Governor

As the deputy governor, Ikuru, and the Speaker, Hon Amachree were leaving, Hon Bibi broke out from a tiny crowd of youths he had been addressing and made an attempt to attack the duo but the security details of the deputy governor and the speaker stopped him.

Immediately after that last attack, the duo of Ikuru and Amachree left the complex. At a media briefing later,  Amachree dismissed allegations that he was impeached by four lawmakers, stressing that the leadership of the House had not changed.

“We were shocked to hear of the impeachment. The leadership of the House has not changed. Can five members sit to impeach the leadership of the House? We did not expect there would be chaos in the House. We were all exchanging pleasantries before we were attacked.“

Asked why only 23 loyalists of the governor sat to pass the amendment sought by the executive given the fact that the ranks of the loyalists of the governor had been given to be 27, he said that the four other members sent in excuses that they would be absent.

He, however, quickly noted that the 23 who sat were still in the majority. "It is not compulsory that every member must be present in our sitting. I am aware they took excuses”, he said.

On the mace that was used by the four lawmakers to sit, he said it was fake, adding that the tradition to convene the House was for the Speaker to be escorted by the Sergeant-at-Arms with the mace. "The Sergeant-at-Arms only escorted me with the mace.”

When asked to comment on the action of the Police and other security operatives during the melee he said he was totally dissatisfied with the conduct of the Police. The Speaker said the House had applied for Police protection to cover the sitting but he was surprised that they only came to watch.

“I asked the Clerk to write to the Commissioner of Police and the Army for protection. The Police came watching. We will write to the National Assembly. We also did not see the Army”, he said.

Giving his narration of what happened yesterday, the Majority Leader who was taken to hospital in a statement said:

“Well, yesterday the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Otelema Dan Amachree directed that the House be reconvened to consider an amendment to the 2013 appropriation law which the Governor had communicated to him via a letter and as if Mr. Speaker saw what was going to happen today, he wrote a letter through the Clerk of the House to the Commissioner of Police to provide security for today’s sitting and he also wrote to the commander of 2 Amphibious Brigade who also doubles as the head of the internal JTF.

So when we got to work this morning, we saw the presence of policemen numbering over 50 and we thought that this was in response to Mr. Speaker’s request.

"Shortly thereafter, I noticed that the five anti-Amaechi members were discussing in clusters and calling on their boys to come in. Initially, the policemen were searching everybody who would come into the premises. I had to even come down at the gate and trekked into the premises. So after a while, we learnt that there were phone calls and the commissioner of police personally called the unit, the man in charge to allow everybody in.

"We went in as members who have not seen ourselves for sometime because of the crisis in the state. I was on my seat, without provocation, Hon. Evans Bipi came to me in the full glare of everybody on camera and started raining punches on me. As his leader I did not react because I felt that it is something we could settle, whatever it is, maybe I didn’t greet him also. So he continued when that continued, the speaker intervened and said, ha, 'what’s happening'.

"Then he reached out for the tripod that stands the camera, used it freely on me, himself and Michael Okechukwu Chinda. They flogged me to their satisfaction, I didn’t just utter a word until Hon. Ihunwo graciously asked me to run for my dear life because they have brought people with guns and of course when I looked at the gallery they were shouting who is the Chidi Lloyd, who is the Chidi Lloyd."

"So at that point, I’m sure somebody may have reached out to the governor of the state who came in with his own security because these other policemen were there standing helplessly, watching what was going on. So he came and rescued members out of the place.

"Then after a while, we heard that they were meeting; they had procured a fake mace to the House, so we went back and I took the mace where they were sitting.  I sustained injury as a result of the violence by Michael Chinda and Evans Bipi."

While I was in the hospital the speaker and other members of the House sat and heard the amendment that the governor sent, was presented on his behalf by the deputy governor. Now these amendments are, the governor said he was just seeking for us to via some sub heads for him to enable him take care of certain unforeseen events such as flood and all that. That is why we went to work for the state only to be dealt with in the manner that they have dealt with us. I want to use this opportunity while in the hospital here, I have received phone calls of threat to life for my family and I.

> Incidentally, I’m so helpless, I don’t know who to run to. I can’t go to the commissioner of police because he is already in the arena, he’s already on the other side. I’m appealing to well-meaning Nigerians to pray for me and my family. That is the last hope we have resorted to and that we also urge the National Assembly, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Reps not to turn the other way on the events of Rivers State. This could lead to something that we cannot imagine. It had happened in Anambra State, people were laughing, today is Rivers State nobody knows the next state it would be. If we are practising a democracy, let us please for crying out loud play by the rules. Nigerians should pray for me and come to our aid. The state is under siege. You can’t even vouch for the safety of the Governor. The people are getting more dashed out on a daily basis.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu meanwhile yesterday denied allegations that the police gave cover to the anti-Amaechi lawmakers in the fracas that ensued.

The Police boss who spoke   at the Police headquarters yesterday evening admitted receiving a request from the clerk of the House for police protection for the sitting saying that his first reaction was to ignore it as he claimed it was unusual request.

He said he changed his mind after he got a letter from the Brigade Commander of the Bori Camp of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt asking him to provide Police personnel for the sitting.

The Police Commissioner said he later saw that the Assembly complex had been flooded with security operatives. “On my way to the office I saw the Mobile Police personnel and a detachment of C 41, Civil defence with sniffer dogs checking persons going in and out of the Assembly. I sent my Deputy CP in charge of operations “

Meanwhile harsh reactions have greeted yesterday’s incidence from the political and legal community.

Senator Magnus Abe in his reaction condemned the attacks saying it was regrettable that the police stood by as the attack took place.

Ladi Williams, SAN in his own reaction said:
“The move is very undemocratic and an act of barbarism that should be condemned. Yes, the speaker can be removed from office, but it must follow due process. I also appreciate the fact that this is not the first time this is happening. It has happened before and had also happened in the western region House of Assembly and the outcome was not something we expected. That was not what the people voted for, they voted for due process and good governance. We have to respect the sovereignty of the people. The people did not vote our lawmakers to the house to go and fight, they were voted to legislate for good governance. It is most unfortunate and a sad experience in our democratic experiment.”

Chief Robert Clarke, SAN on his part said:
“For five members to move and impeach the speaker is very wrong. They know it was illegal. The Supreme Court has decided on it in Inakoju’s case that it is not possible for such thing to happen.

“But politicians being as crafty as they are will still go and carry out the illegal act and ask the victims to go to court, if they are not satisfy. It is a tactic that yes ‘we have done it, you can go to court ‘ and while the case is in court they use the machinery of the court to stick to their offices and wait for the court to decided the case.

It is something we really have to think of what to do with such people. Those who know the law or suppose to protect the law will still go ahead to commit illegality. So, their actions are condemnable and it is illegal. Those who commit such act should also be charged to court for criminal offence.”

Watch video here