Police Block Amaechi’s Convoy …Lalong,Mamora Seek IG’s Sack

The Forces Avenue stretch to Government House, Port Harcourt which was barricaded by policemen and their vehicles, denying Governor Amaechi and his visitors access to Government House, yesterday’s evening.

Former Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Simon Lalong and former Minority Leader in the Senate, Senator Olurimimbe Mamora, has called for the sack of Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar.
The two ex-legislators were among over 30 ex-speakers and senators who had visited Governor Chibuike Amaechi yesterday in Port Harcourt.
Both Governor Amaechi and the top ex-legislators were heading  back to the Government House through the Forces Avenue route before they were  blocked from proceeding by some team of policemen who had sealed the new PDP secretariat located at 38 Forces Avenue opposite the old GRA Police station.
After much entreatries by the governor, the police team refused to open the blockade, saying they were acting on instruction from above.
Distraught by the police action, Leader of the Ex-Speakers, Rt Hon Samuel Lalong from Plateau, said, well, I think the international community should begin to look at this situation. It is no longer the governor’s, it is no longer the elected people but if this is the level of impunity, what about the common man, the ordinary person.
‘I think something must be done in respect of the Nigerian Police that we are funding with tax payers money and I think something needs to be done not only in this state because many of us were afraid when we saw this kind of roadblock”, he said.
Lalong, therefore, called for the sack of or resignation of the Inspector General of Police, saying,  “ he is the highest ranking police officer, so we should believe that the Police Commissioner is taking instructions from the Inspector General of Police.
“For this level of impunity, I think the National Assembly should start calling for the resignation of the Inspector-General, not even the Commissioner of Police , Mr Mbu.
On his part, Senator Mamora remarked, ‘ I was just wondering within me how and when we did descend so low as a country to the point that we are beginning to witness this kind of thing. It is very sad and I feel so sad about the whole thing and I just hope that this kind of thing does not happen again”.
The former Senator from Lagos State said Nigerians were waiting for the action the police authorities would take over the matter, posting that the action of the police was capable of creating public distrust in providing security to ordinary Nigerians.
Meanwhile, Ex-Speakers of  the state Houses of Assembly from 1979-2011 in Nigeria have hailed Amaechi’s developmental strides, leader of the group, Rt Hon Samuel Lalong, during a tour of projects in Rivers State, yesterday said Amaechi was worthy of commendation.
His words, “ we have been hearing it over the television and newspapers, but we wanted people to see because they say seeing is believing. So it is only for people and our colleagues to see, so that when they go back to their states and they are insulting your colleague and nobody will defend him better than you because you know him better and you have seen it with your eyes”
Consequently, Governor Chibuike Amaechi has described  those who claim that government activities have been grounded in Rivers State as aliens.
Rt Hon Amaechi said briefly after conducting Ex-Speakers House of Assembly a round some projects sits in Rivers State that those spreading such rumour are sojourners outside the state.
“When you hear people who are contractors accuse us of not working, then, you laugh. An example is the contractor who did Emenike Street in Diobu”.
The governor said such people should come back home and witness the development, saying governance had not slowed down, “we have just employed 13,00 teachers and just last week, we engaged about 32 medical doctors we trained in Russia”.