Most of the 27 members
of the Rivers State House of Assembly have gone underground, a deliberate
strategy said to have been taken to avoid being approached by the group loyal
to the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, to work against Governor Chibuike
Rotimi Amaechi.
of the Rivers State House of Assembly have gone underground, a deliberate
strategy said to have been taken to avoid being approached by the group loyal
to the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, to work against Governor Chibuike
Rotimi Amaechi.
Although the
pro-Amaechi group strenuously denied reports, last week, that the eight other
members of the House of Assembly had defected to the pro-Wike-Obuah group,
fuelling speculations that an impeachment plot against Governor Amaechi was
imminent, the governor’s camp is said to be deeply agitated by the report.
pro-Amaechi group strenuously denied reports, last week, that the eight other
members of the House of Assembly had defected to the pro-Wike-Obuah group,
fuelling speculations that an impeachment plot against Governor Amaechi was
imminent, the governor’s camp is said to be deeply agitated by the report.
Sources close to the
House of Assembly told Daily Newswatch that the pro-Amaechi lawmakers have gone
underground to evade overtures from the pro-Wike-Obuah group, essentially after
the suspension of Amaechi from the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, last week.
House of Assembly told Daily Newswatch that the pro-Amaechi lawmakers have gone
underground to evade overtures from the pro-Wike-Obuah group, essentially after
the suspension of Amaechi from the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, last week.
Governor Amaechi was
said to have travelled to Abuja on Tuesday, with some 10 lawmakers, while those
who didn’t make the trip have remained pointedly invisible. Since the crisis
blew into the open with the suspension of the chairman, Timothy Nsirim, vice
chairman, Solomon Eke and all 17 councillors, on Monday, April 22, most of the
27 legislators loyal to Governor Amaechi have been very evasive. Their phones
are most of the time switched off. And for those who are lucky to get across to
them, their calls have not been picked.
said to have travelled to Abuja on Tuesday, with some 10 lawmakers, while those
who didn’t make the trip have remained pointedly invisible. Since the crisis
blew into the open with the suspension of the chairman, Timothy Nsirim, vice
chairman, Solomon Eke and all 17 councillors, on Monday, April 22, most of the
27 legislators loyal to Governor Amaechi have been very evasive. Their phones
are most of the time switched off. And for those who are lucky to get across to
them, their calls have not been picked.
The Chief Press
Secretary to Governor Amaechi, David Iyifor, told Daily Newswatch that most of
the lawmakers are in town attending to their legislative duties.
Secretary to Governor Amaechi, David Iyifor, told Daily Newswatch that most of
the lawmakers are in town attending to their legislative duties.
Specifically, the
Speaker of the House of Assembly, Otelemaba Dan-Amachree, has clearly not been
seen in public since the Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu, invited him to
the police command to provide the police with evidence to substantiate
allegations made by him that subterranean meetings were being held in a
neighbouring eastern state as well as in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory,
on plans to eliminate Governor Amaechi and himself.
Speaker of the House of Assembly, Otelemaba Dan-Amachree, has clearly not been
seen in public since the Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu, invited him to
the police command to provide the police with evidence to substantiate
allegations made by him that subterranean meetings were being held in a
neighbouring eastern state as well as in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory,
on plans to eliminate Governor Amaechi and himself.
News on the Speaker’s
whereabouts has become very hazy since Justice Adolphous Enebili of a Port
Harcourt High Court, on Tuesday, refused to grant an order sought by the
Speaker, Dan-Amachree, asking the court to restrain the Assistant Inspector
General of Police, N. S. Ugwu, and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed
Abubakar, from arresting him over allegations he made that there were plans to
assassinate him and Governor Amaechi.
whereabouts has become very hazy since Justice Adolphous Enebili of a Port
Harcourt High Court, on Tuesday, refused to grant an order sought by the
Speaker, Dan-Amachree, asking the court to restrain the Assistant Inspector
General of Police, N. S. Ugwu, and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed
Abubakar, from arresting him over allegations he made that there were plans to
assassinate him and Governor Amaechi.
In the last six weeks,
the Speaker and the Leader of the House, Chidi Lloyd, have devised a conduit,
in concert with the press unit at government house, of sending press statements
to the e-mailboxes of journalists without attempting to answer enquiries on the
allegations they have raised, no matter how weighty.
the Speaker and the Leader of the House, Chidi Lloyd, have devised a conduit,
in concert with the press unit at government house, of sending press statements
to the e-mailboxes of journalists without attempting to answer enquiries on the
allegations they have raised, no matter how weighty.
Governor Amaechi’s
recourse to the court for an order restraining members of the House of Assembly
from impeaching him, unconstitutionally, gave an indication that moves were
either being made to attract more lawmakers to join the anti-Amaechi five
lawmakers in the house, or that the house that adjourned sine dine on Tuesday,
April 23, was about to resume sitting.
recourse to the court for an order restraining members of the House of Assembly
from impeaching him, unconstitutionally, gave an indication that moves were
either being made to attract more lawmakers to join the anti-Amaechi five
lawmakers in the house, or that the house that adjourned sine dine on Tuesday,
April 23, was about to resume sitting.
And in Abuja, Daily
Newswatch learnt that the state assembly members are holed in Asokoro District
of the Federal Capital Terrotory.
Newswatch learnt that the state assembly members are holed in Asokoro District
of the Federal Capital Terrotory.
Sources told
said the state assembly members have been having series of meetings with pro-
Amaechi politicians in Abuja, particularly National Assembly members.
said the state assembly members have been having series of meetings with pro-
Amaechi politicians in Abuja, particularly National Assembly members.
“A top officer of the
House of Representatives personally drove himself to see the Rivers State
legislators where they are staying and assured them that it is noble to stand
by one’s principle. He said they should not be in a hurry to go back as the
hawks are all over Port Harcourt looking for them,” Daily Newswatch was told.
House of Representatives personally drove himself to see the Rivers State
legislators where they are staying and assured them that it is noble to stand
by one’s principle. He said they should not be in a hurry to go back as the
hawks are all over Port Harcourt looking for them,” Daily Newswatch was told.
Speaker of the house
of assembly, Otelemaba Dan Amachree, had raised the alarm last week that anti-Amaechi
forces were mounting pressures on him to commence impeachment process on the
governor. He, however, said no amount of intimidation or incentive would make
him compromise his position on the Amaechi saga.
of assembly, Otelemaba Dan Amachree, had raised the alarm last week that anti-Amaechi
forces were mounting pressures on him to commence impeachment process on the
governor. He, however, said no amount of intimidation or incentive would make
him compromise his position on the Amaechi saga.
The governor had on
Tuesday approached a Port Harcourt High Court to stop any impeachment
proceedings that the Rivers State House of Assembly may contemplate against
him.
Tuesday approached a Port Harcourt High Court to stop any impeachment
proceedings that the Rivers State House of Assembly may contemplate against
him.
In the suit filed on
his behalf byB.E.I. Nworfor, SAN, the governor is urging the court to restrain
the 32 members of the state House of Assembly from impeaching him
unconstitutionally or even initiating an impeachment process against him for
whatever reasons all through the remaining part of his second term in office.
his behalf byB.E.I. Nworfor, SAN, the governor is urging the court to restrain
the 32 members of the state House of Assembly from impeaching him
unconstitutionally or even initiating an impeachment process against him for
whatever reasons all through the remaining part of his second term in office.
Amaechi, therefore,
asked the court to restrain the 32 lawmakers from impeaching him before the
expiration of his tenure on May 29, 2015, which he claimed, is his
constitutional right.
asked the court to restrain the 32 lawmakers from impeaching him before the
expiration of his tenure on May 29, 2015, which he claimed, is his
constitutional right.
Source: Daily Newswatch
