Rivers Crisis: Five Anti-Amaechi Lawmakers Accuse Senate C’ttee Of Bias

Date Posted: 16/07/2013

 

The five members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who attempted to impeach the Speaker, Hon. Dan Oetelemaba Amachree, have accused the Senate Committee on State and Local Government Administration, investigating the recent crisis in the House of Assembly of bias.

Leader of the lawmakers and member representing Ogu/Bolo constituency in the House, Hon Evans Bapakaye Bipi, who was illegally made speaker by four of his colleagues, made the allegation in a parley with newsmen in Port Harcourt.

Bipi said; “I told members of the committee that I was disappointed; I pray that they give us a fair hearing because they came in and went straight to the Government House, where they wined and dined with the governor, who is also an interested party. Instead of going to the hospital to see the lawmaker who was brutalised, went instead to Government House.

“That same day, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police came and went straight to the hospital to see the injured lawmaker, Hon Chinda. The DIG was so moved that he told Nigerians that the perpetrators of the act must be brought to justice.”

The lawmaker and his group, who are reportedly loyal to the Minister of State for Education, Barrister Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, stated that the presence of Senators Magnus Ngei Abe and Wilson Asinobi Ake (Senators from Rivers State and pro-Amaechi) at the venue of the meeting between the committee and his group inside Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt, lay credence to their suspicion that members of the committee were already compromised in their attempt to find lasting solution to the lingering political crisis in the state.

According to him, “We were called by the committee to meet with them at Presidential Hotel and when we got there, we saw two interested parties, Senator Magnus Abe and Senator Wilson Ake. I was uncomfortable and I asked the committee chairman to tell the two men to leave since they are interested parties.”

Bipi explained that the injured lawmaker, Michael Chinda, who represents Obio/Akpor Constituency II in the House, was flown abroad for treatment following the advice of doctors at the Saint Patrick’s Hospital, Ogbunabali, Port Harcourt, who noted that the head injuries the lawmaker sustained during the fracas could affect his memory.