Pro-Amaechi Legislators Vow To Defend State

Sequel to penultimate week’s crisis at the Rivers State House of Assembly, following a failed attempt by five members of the House to impeach the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree, last week, the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi inaugurated a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the events that took place on July 9 and 10 in the Assembly.
Inaugurating the 8-man Commission, led by Justice B.A. Georgewill, Deputy Governor of the State, Engr. Tele Ikuru, who represented the Governor, charged members of the Commission to investigate and ascertain the remote and immediate causes of the crisis at the Assembly on Tuesday, 9th and Wednesday, 10th July, 2013.
The commission is also mandated to identify those directly and indirectly involved, the number of persons injured or threatened with injury, ascertain properties destroyed, their owners and the valued of such properties, as well as ascertain whether internal or external persons or factors outside the Assembly influenced or were involved in the crisis, and to what extent.
They are also to investigate any other matter or matters that may come to the knowledge of the commission in the course of its deliberations not covered by in the terms of reference and submit their recommendations on or before October 15, 2013.
Reacting to the inauguration of the commission, political observers hailed this action, expressing the hope that it would bring about peace in the state.
Also in the week under review, the Rivers State Police Command declared wanted the Leader of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Lloyd, in connection with the July 9 fracas on the floor of the House. The Police said he was wanted for alleged conspiracy, attempted murder, wounding and willful damage. Hon. Lloyd was alleged to have attempted to murder the legislator representing Obio/Akpor Constituency 11, Hon. Michael Chinda during the attempted impeachment of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree, by five members.
The Leader of the House had, through his Counsel, Beneolisa Nwaofor, prayed the court to stop the Police from arresting him.
But the presiding Judge, Justice Esor Teetito declined to grant the application and directed that the Police be notified, while adjourning the matter to July 25, 2013.
He justified the adjournment with the explanation that “the nature of the application is the type that the respondent should be put on notice — to enable them come and defend their actions”.
Barely hours after the Rivers State Police Command declared Hon. Lloyd wanted, the Inspector-General of Police invited him to Abuja. This development left many wondering if there was no synergy in the operations of the office of the Inspector-General of Police and the State Police Command. The invitation by the IGP, it was observed, should have come first before declaring the Leader wanted.
In another development, the 27 pro-Amaechi lawmakers in the House vowed to defend the State from those they described as: “political predators” in the on-going political crisis in the state. They also warned the leader of the five anti-Amaechi lawmakers, Hon. Evans Bipi to desist from parading himself as the Speaker of the House.
In a statement entitled, “Our position”, and signed by 26 of them, they vowed to defend the State from political predators  “scavenging for cheap popularity and a harvest of political fortunes”. They urged the public to ignore Bipi’s claim to the leadership of the Assembly.
Responding, Hon. Bipi argued that he was duly elected as Speaker, following an impeachment of Rt. Hon. Amachree.