Senate Demands Mbu’s Redeployment …Okays NASS Take-Over Of Rivers Assembly; As RVHA Dep Speaker Faults Lloyd’s Summons

The Senate yesterday asked the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar to urgently redeploy the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu.
The Senate also agreed with the decision of the House of Representatives to take over the Rivers State House of Assembly during a closed door meeting yesterday.
According to the Senate, the National Assembly is to take over the functions and duties of the Rivers State House of Assembly pending the resolution of the crises and restoration of peace in the state parliament.
In their report submitted to the Senate, the committee instituted to investigate the Rivers State political crisis, said: “We discovered that the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu and the state Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi can no longer work together to secure the state. One has to leave and of course, you cannot ask the governor to leave. So, the commissioner will have to go.
“We are also recommending that the National Assembly should take over the functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly , given the current state of affairs at the Legislature.
“We found out that the crisis was fuelled by the conflict between the governor and the Presidency. There were indications that the Presidency was supporting the five members of the state Assembly, who attempted to sack the Speaker.
“From  our findings, it was clear that the two parties had faults…”, the committee said in their report.
Following the crisis that disrupted the sitting of the Rivers State House of Assembly on July 9, 2013, the House of Representatives passed a motion directing the National Assembly to take over the functions of the state legislature.
The House also passed a motion to direct the Inspector General of Police to redeploy Mr Mbu for ‘dereliction of duties.’
Recall that the sitting of the Rivers State House of Assembly was disrupted on Tuesday, July 9, 2013, when hoodlums and some lawmakers attacked the principal officers of the House, with an assortment of weapons.
The House, which adjourned sine die for some weeks in the wake of the political crisis between factions of the assembly re-opened that day at about 9.45 a.m.
Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Leyii Kwanee has faulted the police  summon to only the Leader of the House, Hon Chidi Lloyd following the fracas in the House on July 9, 2013
While condemning the act by force Headquarters, Abuja, Kwanee explained that the right thing to do was for the police to invite all parties involved in the fracas for questioning.
‘If they (Police) want to do a thorough work, they should carry out an unbiased investigation”, he said. He noted that the selective approach where only the House Leader was singled out while other legislators involved in what he called  “brigandage” are left to walk freely in the streets of Port Harcourt, smacks of partiality on the part of the police.
“People of Rivers State are seeing the state commissioner of police, Mr Mbu J Mbu as being partial, and the invitation of Hon Lloyd selectively is a confirmation that the entire police force are acting to scripts, he emphasized.
Kwanee, who is also the chairman parliamentary exchange and mentorship programme of the pan African Parliament, therefore, advised the police to carry out an unbiased investigation, noting that “ any contrary action of the police would portray them in bad light in Rivers State”.
He thus urged the police to maintain utmost neutrality in the interest of Nigeria’s nascent democracy.
The member of the state Assembly representing Khana constituency II used the opportunity to appeal to the supporters of Governor Chibuike Amaechi to remain calm and law abiding in the face of provocation”.
He stressed that persistently, sticking to the rule of law is our contribution towards avoiding break down of law and order”, noting that “ at the end, peace and sanity will be restored.
It would be recalled that hollowing the fracas of July 9 in the hallowed chambers of the state House of Assembly, which resulted in a free- for-all fight that left some lawmakers injured, the police headquarters in Abuja summoned only the Majority Leader for questioning.

Pro-Amaechi group in a solidarity protest in London, last Wednesday