HEAVILY armed Policemen, yesterday, barricaded the two ends of Moscow Road leading to the state House of Assembly, thus preventing the pro-Governor Chibuike Amaechi lawmakers from reconvening the House.
It would be recalled that a Federal High Court, Abuja, Wednesday, declared as illegal, the take-over of the legislative functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly by the House of Representatives.
Following the court ruling, the 22 pro-Governor Amaechi’s lawmakers, therefore, gathered at the House of Assembly to resume sitting. But as early as 8.30 a.m. Police patrol vehicles were used to block the two ends of the road leading to the Assembly.
Staff of the NNPC and other establishments whose offices were in the area were only allowed into their offices after their identities were confirmed by fierced looking anti-riot Policemen.
Police Barricade Rivers House of Assembly Entrance 11 Lawmakers and supporters running away from tear gas shot by the Police yesterday to scare them away. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke
An Armoured Personnel Career, APC, and two Police patrol vehicles were also used to block the entry and exit gates of the state House of Assembly complex. Nobody was allowed into the complex. Journalists who were able to sneak through the gate of the Assembly complex were ordered to go back.
At about 9.30 a.m, the Police suddenly stopped even workers from entering the Moscow Road as some of the Policemen were seen clutching their walk-talkie to their ears, apparently taking and dishing out instructions.
At about 9.55 a.m, a Coaster bus conveying the pro-Amaechi lawmakers were stopped by the Police at the Port Harcourt City Council end of the road. The Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Mr Tony Okocha and Commissioner for Works, Mr Victor Giadom were among those stopped by the Police from proceeding beyond the Port HarcourtCity council end of the road.
Pleas by the lawmakers to be allowed beyond this point or to the state House of Assembly fell on deaf ears. The Policemen kept saying they were acting on instructions not to allow anyone go beyond the point or into the Assembly complex.
Mock sitting
When it became clear that the Police would not allow them into the complex, the pro-Amaechi lawmakers, who were about 22, suddenly commenced a mock sitting on the Moscow Road with the Deputy Speaker, Leyii Kwanee presiding.
White plastic chairs were fetched for them from the Port HarcourtCity council local government secretariat. They took turns to denounce the action of the Police.
Teargas
Mid way into their deliberations, the Police started firing teargas, a development that made the lawmakers and onlookers to scamper for safety.
A Man Injured while ruining from the scene of the crisis Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke
Police kept firing canisters of teargas to ensure they did not regroup in the area. Some youths who had also turned up early to witness the sitting of the Assembly started hurling stones from a distance. It was not clear if their targets were the Policemen but their action triggered the Police to fire more canisters of teargas.
Contacted, leader of the anti-Amaechi lawmakers, Hon. Evans Bipi, said he was the Speaker of the House, adding that when he was ready to reconvene the House he would let Rivers people know.
Be professional, Chief of Staff tellsPolice
Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt, Mr. Tony Okocha, has called on the Police in the state to be professional while discharging their duties.
Condemning the refusal of the Police to allow the pro-Amaechi lawmakers access to the state Assembly complex to resume legislative functions, Okocha said it was sad that the security body resorted to firing canisters of teargas at the lawmakers who were merely responding to a court judgment which restored the functions of the Assembly to the state lawmakers.
Obuah’s faction lauds Police
However, the Felix Obuah’s faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state has lauded the Police for aborting a sitting of the pro-Amaechi lawmakers.
Chairman of the party, Mr. Felix Obuah, who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Jerry Needam, said the action of the Police, yesterday, saved the state another round of chaos.
The statement which addressed Evans Bipi as Speaker of the House urged the Police to continue to maintain peace in the assembly complex.
APC vows to resist any unconstitutional action
On its part, the All Progressives Congress (APC)warned against any reliance on Wednesday’s judgment of a Federal High Court, to perpetrate mayhem or unconstitutional acts in RiversState.
In a statement in Osogbo, yesterday, by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also warned the police and other security agencies not to provide cover for renegades to engage in any illegality, saying their role must be to ensure the safety and security of all legislators if and when the House decides to sit.
It said there is no doubt that the six legislators opposed to Gov. Amaechi will try to hide under the cover of the judgment to convene the Assembly with the sole purpose of removing the Speaker as a prelude to impeaching the state governor, but warned that any such act will constitute an illegality and trigger a cataclysmic reaction, the end result of which no one can predict.
APC said: “The six legislators opposed to Gov. Amaechi do not and cannot form a quorum (nine members) that will even allow the House to convene legally, not to talk of at least 20 members— representing two third majority — that can constitutionally impeach the Speaker.
‘’We are, therefore, constrained to warn, in the strongest possible terms, that we in the APC will take any impunity in Rivers as an impunity to all, and will vehemently resist such with a spontaneous explosion of people power not only in states under our control but across the country.”
….Advises Jonathan
To President Goodluck Jonathan, APC said he must not allow personal and partisan considerations to blot his responsibility as the father of the nation and put in jeopardy his constitutional role of ensuring the country’s unity.
It said: “We are aware of the letter to President Jonathan by former President Olusegun Obasanjo virtually accusing the President of destroying the same nation he was elected to preside over and uplift. We hope he will not allow Obasanjo’s prognosis about him to come true so soon by backing any move that can plunge Nigeria into chaos.
“This is because we in the APC have resolved never to sit by and allow anyone, no matter how highly placed, to engage in actions that will make our country a laughing stock and a pariah in the comity of nations. Therefore, there will be no peace anywhere in the country if this Federal Government supports the perpetration of impunity in Rivers. This is not a threat, but the sure consequences of any act of impunity.”
Court ruling bizarre
Meanwhile, the party has described the court ruling as bizarre and alarming, against the background of the massive mayhem that was unleashed in the Rivers House of Assembly last July.
It wondered why the court will say there were no facts that the House of Assembly could not carry out its functions, with the Mace as well as several heads broken and the hallowed chambers desecrated by a free-for-all that was watched all around the world.
“What else must occur before the stipulated conditions can prevail for the National Assembly to take over the functions of the Rivers House of Assembly? Is it when MPs are slaughtered like rams that such a condition will be deemed to have prevailed?
‘’We are astonished and concerned by this court ruling, especially coming shortly after we warned the judiciary not to allow itself to be used by unscrupulous people to reverse the gains that have been recorded under the present Chief Justice of Nigeria, who has embarked on determined and sincere efforts to clean up the judiciary,’’ APC said.
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