Police teargas Rivers State lawmakers

Police teargas Rivers State lawmakers
on december 12, 2013 at 4:02 pm in news
Nigeria’s Rivers State Police Command reportedly
disperse 22 lawmakers with teargas, who had come
to the Assembly Complex to sit, following a court
order yesterday that invalidated the appropriation of
its functions by the National Assembly.
The House had suspended its sessions in July after
a fracas during which five minority members said to
be loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan and his
wife, Patience attempted to sack the Speaker of the
Assembly, who enjoys the support of 26 members.
The Police command sealed the Assembly premises
thereafter.
Amidst reports of a plan by six members to begin an
impeachment proceedings against Governor Rotimi
Amaechi, 22 of the 26 members said to be loyal to
Governor Rotimi Amaechi, had converged at the
Assembly today to sit in compliance with the court
order. But the police barred them from entering the
chambers.
The lawmakers pleaded fruitlessly with the police
team to allow them access to perform their
legislative functions.
When their pleadings appeared to have fallen on
deaf ears, the lawmakers decided to commence
sitting on the main road opposite the Assembly
Complex after the leader of the Police team,
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in-charge
of Port Harcourt Area Command, Mr. Aliyu Garba,
insisted that they must show him a written
permission of the state the Commissioner of Police,
Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu,who is said to take
instructions from the president’s wife.
However, the sitting brought to a halt after
policemen fired several canisters of teargas at
them, the aim being to disperse them. The police
were reportedly armed to the teeth, with two
armoured vehicles and 20 patrol cars.
The lawmakers scampered into safety.
Also affected by the tear-gas, were the Chief of
Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Hon. Tony
Okocha, interim Chairman of APC in the state, Chief
Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, chairmen of some local
government council as well as journalists, who had
come to cover the resumption of the House of
Assembly.
Reacting to the prevention of the pro-Amaechi
lawmakers from having access to the House of
Assembly complex, the interim chairman of APC in
the state, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said there
was a plot by the police to sneak in the five anti-
Amaechi lawmakers to carry out the duties of the
state legislature.
Reacting to the prevention of the pro-Amaechi
lawmakers from having access to the House of
Assembly complex, the interim chairman of APC in
the state, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said there
was a plot by the police to sneak in the five anti-
Amaechi lawmakers to carry out the duties of the
state legislature.
Ikanya said; “You have seen the situation in Rivers
State. You have been here with us to see how
power is being used against the people.
Today, the majority of the members of the House of
Assembly came and sought to see the
Commissioner of Police because, there was a High
Court judgement in Abuja that said they should
resume their duties.
But, surprisingly, the police commissioner has
refused to grant entry to these people.
“We suspect very strongly that there is an attempt
to allow five lawmakers to sneak into the Assembly
to say they are carrying out the functions of the
Assembly.
This was the case when the almost succeeded in
impeaching the governor of Rivers State by just five
of them in a 32-member House of Assembly.
Now, the police are barring genuine House of
Assembly members from having access to the
Assembly building.
“They are also stopping them from having access
to the commissioner of Police, to seek protection for
them to resume their sitting.
This is unacceptable to APC as a party in Rivers
State. We are saying that the police is being used
against genuine people of Rivers State.”