IG Sets Up Panel On Rivers Crisis

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, has set up a panel to investigate the involvement of the police in the crisis rocking the Rivers House of Assembly.
A statement issued yesterday by CSP Frank Mba, the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, said the panel is headed by Mr Philemon Leha, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations.
The statement said the high powered panel “is to scrupulously investigate all the circumstances surrounding the on-going impasse in the state’’.
“The assignment is particularly as it relates to the actions and omissions of police personnel that were physically on ground during the unfortunate fracas that occurred in the hallowed Chambers of the Rivers House of Assembly.
“The I-G gives assurance that the Force will not spare anyone found to have fallen foul of the law, irrespective of placement and status.’’
The statement said the I-G urged citizens of Rivers to be law abiding irrespective of their ideological leanings.
“The Police Force will continue to do everything, within its constitutional powers, to provide a safe, impartial and conducive atmosphere for legitimate social, political and economic activities to thrive,’’ it said.
The statement warned that the police would not tolerate any form of lawlessness amounting to threat to safety and public order, and advised the people to seek civilised and decent means of resolving their differences, “devoid of all forms of violence and confrontation’’.
“The peace of the State is paramount to the well being and development of the state and the Police Force needs the maximum cooperation and understanding of the people to optimally discharge its statutory responsibility.
“We must, as a people, manage our differences to the advantage of our growing democracy for the good of all,’’ it quoted the I-G as saying.
The statement urged the citizens not to further heat up the polity through hateful, inflammatory and unguarded statements or actions; rather, they should consciously work to sustain peace in the state.
Our correspondent  recalls that the crisis rocking the House of Assembly culminated in a free-for-all on Tuesday and a street brawl in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly has taken over the functions of the state House of Assembly.
According to Section 11(4) at any time a state house of assembly is unable to perform its functions by reason of the situation prevailing in the state the National Assembly may make laws which shall have effect as if they were laws by the state until the affected state house of assembly is able to sit again.