Forces loyal to the Rivers state governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi in
the state House of Assembly engaged in a brawl yesterday with members
opposed to the governor who claim to have ousted the Speaker, Hon.
Otelemaba Amachree.
In the confusion that ensued, members of the House loyal to the state
governor, Rotimi Amaechi led by the House leader, Chidi Lloyd staged a
violent comeback seizing the Mace, the Chamber’s symbol of authority,
and chasing their opponents in what appeared to be a bus-park squabble.
In a graphic video made available by TVC News, Lloyd was seen
pummeling another member, Kelechi Wogu (representing Obio/Akpor
constituency) ruthlessly with the Mace and the newly installed speaker,
Evans Bipi desperately searching for an escape route.
Earlier in the day, Hon. Lloyd and Speaker, Amachree were said to
have received a serious beat-down from anti-Amaechi members including
Evans Bipi.
Lloyd told journalists that “Hon. Evans Bipi came to me in full glare
and rained punches on me. As his leader, I didn’t respond. Then he
reached for the tripod and used it freely on me together with Hon.
Chinda.”
At least four members of the House of Assembly were injured in the
attack which caught many workers in the Assembly Complex by surprise.
In a reaction to the unfortunate incident, the commissioner for
information, Ibim Semenitari spoke to the press saying the governor, who
later visited the Assembly complex, was there to make sure that the
rule of law prevailed.
According to her, the governor’s presence was to mediate among the lawmakers.
She said, “Governor Chibuike Amaechi upon hearing that there was a
fight went into the Assembly so that he could secure lives and
properties and make sure that nobody is injured, so along with his own
security from Government House, went to the Assembly, upon getting there
he was actually attacked, Hon. Kelechi Nwogu was heard telling some
people shoot him, shoot him, at this point the leader of the Assembly
has to put himself in front of the Governor to prevent the governor from
receiving those attacks.”
She accused politicians from outside the state of making an attempt to take over governance of the state.
“It’s the worst embarrassment that Rivers State has ever witnessed
because Rivers State has never witnessed this kind of situation ever
before,” she said.
The state commissioner of police, Mbu Joseph, also addressed the
press over the incident saying Hon. Lloyd had requested the intervention
of the police but by the time his men arrived the scene of the mayhem
the complex had been cordoned off by soldiers supposedly invited by the
governor.
He said, “The governor called me and said he was coming to the
assembly and he complained that there was no police cover in the
complex. Then I told him ‘but you have filled everywhere with security
men from other places.’
Shortly after I heard a convoy approaching and saw the governor
entering the complex through my window. Later I was told he was there
while serious fighting was going on in the complex, and later he came
out.”
The River State House of Assembly is made up of thirty two members
with twenty seven said to be loyal to the governor, and five loyal to
the Nyesom Wike faction of the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
To underscore the disunity on ground, the Rivers state executive of
the PDP led by Felix Obuah have sent its congratulations to Evans Bipi
over his emergence as speaker; while another faction controlled by the
ousted chairman, G. U Ake insists that Amachree remains the speaker of
the House.
It is not clear where the pendulum swings after this show of shame by
both sides of the political divide in Rivers state but what is obvious
is that there is undue tension, the gladiators are no longer at ease and
the centre cannot hold.
– Seeing is believing, so you can watch the video of the attack below showing the destruction of
the House symbol of authority, the computer hardware and other assembly complex paraphernalia destroyed HERE
Source YNaija