RVHA Petitions Presidency Over SARS

The Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA), last Wednesday passed a motion to petition the Presidency over the security situation in the State.
The motion was introduced by the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Martin Amaewhule, who cited Section 4(7) of the Constitution to make laws for peace and order of the state.
Amaewhule argued that since the legislature was empowered by the law to ensure the security of lives and property, it would also not fold its arms and watch any agency of government put the state into anarchy and chaos.
The legislator submitted that the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) have become a source of worry as “they have unleashed mayhem on the state”.
Amaewhule insisted, “We have one leader in Rivers State, who is vested with the powers to protect lives and property. Akin Fakorede is not the leader of this state, neither is Chibuike Amaechi”.
He expressed worry that the state was gradually drifting to anarchy, adding that “the police arrangement is skewed against the people of Rivers State”.
The motion had sparked heated debate on the floor, when members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by member representing Port Harcourt Constituency 1, Hon. Victoria Nyeche sought amendment in an attempt to defend SARS.
But Amaewhule insisted that, “there is nowhere in the Constitution where it is said that security is the exclusive preserve of the Federal Government”.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani divided the House with majority supporting the motion, amongst other resolutions, to direct inquiry into activities of SARS, petition the Presidency and Inspector-General of Police and to immediately redeploy Fakorede.
Prayers, 1, 2 and 3 were adopted as the official position of the House, and the clerk was directed to convey their decision to the appropriate quarters.
Ibani added that the motion was of urgent public importance, saying, the protection of lives and property was sacrosanct as the House was poised to ensure that Section 4 (7) of the Constitution was enforced in Rivers State.

L-R: President of American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Mr. Jonathan Fanton, President of Nigeria Academy of Science (NAS), Prof. Mosto Onuoha and former Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke, during the 40th Anniversary Dinner of NAS in Abuja, last Wednesday.