Nigerian Senate Take Over Rivers State Legislative Functions, Order Immediate Redeployment Of Police Chief
https://nigeriaafrica1.blogspot.com/2013/07/nigerian-senate-take-over-rivers-state.html
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.
The Senate on Thursday agreed with the decision of the House of Representatives to take over the Rivers State House of Assembly during a closed door meeting.
The senate has also asked the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar to urgently redeploy the Rivers state police commissioner, Joseph Mbu.
Following the crisis that disrupted the sitting of the Rivers State House of Assembly on 9 July 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 9 July 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 Governor Chibuike Amaechi and President Goodluck Jonathan’s pointsmen in the state, re-opened that day at about 9.45 a.m.
Proceedings had barely started when some members, said to belong to the G5 minority group, arrived with some hoodlums and started beating up the majority leader of the house, Chidi Lloyd with sticks, microphone and camera stands and any object that could serve as cudgels.
The Speaker of the house, Otelemaba Amachree was similarly attacked and the mace broken.
When the state governor, Chibuike Amaechi heard of the fracas and the refusal of the police and members of the JTF to intervene, he reportedly rushed to the house with his aides and armed escorts and succeeded in rescuing members of the house loyal to him.
As the governor and majority of the legislators were leaving the site of the mayhem, they discovered that five renegade members of the house had seized the mace. They then ran back to retrieve the mace from the minority group.
The senate has also asked the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar to urgently redeploy the Rivers state police commissioner, Joseph Mbu.
Following the crisis that disrupted the sitting of the Rivers State House of Assembly on 9 July 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 9 July 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 Governor Chibuike Amaechi and President Goodluck Jonathan’s pointsmen in the state, re-opened that day at about 9.45 a.m.
Proceedings had barely started when some members, said to belong to the G5 minority group, arrived with some hoodlums and started beating up the majority leader of the house, Chidi Lloyd with sticks, microphone and camera stands and any object that could serve as cudgels.
The Speaker of the house, Otelemaba Amachree was similarly attacked and the mace broken.
When the state governor, Chibuike Amaechi heard of the fracas and the refusal of the police and members of the JTF to intervene, he reportedly rushed to the house with his aides and armed escorts and succeeded in rescuing members of the house loyal to him.
As the governor and majority of the legislators were leaving the site of the mayhem, they discovered that five renegade members of the house had seized the mace. They then ran back to retrieve the mace from the minority group.
