Another insanity in the House of Assembly
The Rivers state House of Assembly has been sighted to have undergone a very rowdy
session on Tuesday for some minutes after two months of adjournment as
pro-Governor Rotimi Amaechi legislators battled five renegade lawmakers
rooting for the political opponents of the governor.
The
minority lawmakers, whose agenda was to impeach the governor made the
impeachment of Speaker Otelemaba Amachree and other principal officers
the first priority. They thus stole into the House of Assembly at about
8.30 am earlier before the normal sitting of the House and smuggled in a
mace.
But they met eight Pro- Amaechi lawmakers including the
Speaker Otelemaba Amachree, Chidi Llyod, the majority Leader and six
others in the assembly.
With no hope of succeeding with their mission, one of the five rebels,
Evans Bapakaye Bipi, went straight to Chidi Llyod’s seat and physically
assaulted him.
As Llyod and Bipi were having a fisticuff, the Speaker who stepped in to separate them was also attacked by Bipi.
A free-for -all started, with blows being exchanged by both sides.
Lloyd
was injured, while Martins Amaehule another anti-Ameachi Lawmaker
representing Obio-Akpor was also injured and rushed to St Patricks
Hospital at Ogbunabali in Port Harcourt for treatment.
As the
fracas degenerated, some of the pro-Amaechi lawmakers ran for their dear
lives because of the many thugs brought into the Assembly premises by
Bipi and his group.
One of the minority lawmakers, as a member of the group,
Victor Ihunwo, representing Port Harcourt constituency stepped into the
Speaker’s seat to “Pilot “ the affairs
Martins Amaehule moved
the “motion” for the “Impeachment” of the Speaker who has been rushed
out after the physical assault. Kelechi Worgu an anti-Amaechi,
representing Omuma Constituency “supported” the motion and thereafter
announced Bipi as the new “Speaker.”
Governor Amaechi who was
alerted about the fracas and the breakdown of law and order at the
Assembly, arrived at the Assembly chambers, just in time to hear Evans
Babakaya Bipialaka give a vote thanks for his ‘election’ as speaker of
four other members.
According to witnesses, Bipialaka on sighting
the Governor, ordered some thugs and policemen to “shoot him…shoot
him”, pointing at the Governor.
Amaechi was said to have walked towards him and replied: “Shoot me?”
The
Governor thereafter ordered his security men that came with him to
arrest Bipialaka. But Bipi’s orderly and Policemen who came with him
resisted the arrest.
Bipi is the lawmaker who represents Ogu-Bolo
Constituency, whose wedding was attended several weeks ago by Mrs
Patience Jonathan as a Special Guest of Honour and Mother of the Day.
Bipi and other other four
lawmakers who opposed Amaechi left the assembly with their thugs after they had confronted the governor,
The house was re-convened after
calm was restored at exactly 11.40 am with
the Speaker, Otelemaba Dan-Amachree, presiding with 22 Lawmakers
present.
P.M.News observed that there was still tension with
thugs supporting the anti-Amaechi shouting that they be allowed into the
Assembly but were prevented by pro-Amaechi supporters and House of
Assembly Policemen.
The Governor later presented a minor amendment of the 2013 budget as it affects the capital expenditure only.
Mr
Tele Ikuru,the Deputy Governor who read the proposed minor amendment on
behalf of the Governor explained that the minor amendment only affects
the capital expenditure.
The Deputy Leader Robinson Nnam Ewor
moved a motion for the adoption of amendment and was supported by
Mrs.Irene Inigba,the Chief Whip supported the motion.
Golden
Chioma ,representing Etche Constituency II moved a motion that the
amendment should be committed to the committee of the whole house.
The Speaker asked if there was a counter-motion but there was none.
The
amendment was committed into the House of the whole of 22 members
present and was later adopted. Amaechi had 28 members on his side since
the political fight started. Those that were not at the sitting were
said to have sustained injuries and were undergoing medical treatment.
However,
Freddy Itolo-Ofen,the Press Secretary to Bipi told P.M.News in an
interview that his boss was properly elected as the Speaker of the House
by the Five lawmakers.
“Hon Evans Bipialaka the New Speaker was
making his vote of thanks when the Governor arrived and ordered that he
should be arrested, but was resisted by Bipialaka and his orderly”.
I wonder if this childishness will ever stop.
