This video ranks as one of the most shameful we’ve seen in a long while.
The men in the video are “honourable”
members of the state assembly. The man with the mace, pummelling his
colleagues is the House leader, Chidi Lloyd, a strong loyalist of the
state governor, Rotimi Amaechi. The one on a blue native attire fretting
and attempting to escape is Evans Bipi, the head of the anti-Amaechi
lawmakers. The man being ruthlessly beaten by Lloyd is Kelechi Wogu, a
member who represents Obio/Akpor in the state assembly.
Both Wogu and Lloyd are allegedly recuperating in the hospital.
Although Lloyd was earlier brutalised by
the anti-Amaechi lawmakers, he looked in very healthy condition in this
video, so unless more action happened after this, it’s safe to say he
didn’t sustain very critical injuries. Wogu’s case was however more
serious as the video below shows.
So shameful!
What happened in Rivers state assembly today: A blow by blow account
It was an unpleasant spectacle at the
Rivers state House of Assembly on Monday as some of the tension which
had been simmering beneath the surface came into the open when the
pro-Amaechi and anti-Amaechi legislators openly confronted themselves
and traded blows with each other.
The Rivers assembly has 32 members and
before Monday’s sitting, 27 had declared loyalty for Gov. Chibuike
Amaechi, while 5 had been strongly opposed. Today’s sitting was convened
to receive presentation by the state governor on amendments to the 2013
budget. The House was also reportedly supposed to pass a vote of no
confidence on the state commissioner of police, Mbu Joseph.
Eight members of the House were present
earlier in the day, including Otelemaba Amachree, the speaker; and Chidi
Lloyd, the House leader. The five lawmakers opposed to the governor
were also present.
During the exchange of pleasantries,
trouble started when Michael Chinda went close to Chidi Lloyd and the
two lawmakers reportedly exchanged words leading to Chinda punching
Lloyd. Cameras in the assembly which beamed to the offices showed that
Chidi Lloyd was repeatedly punched by Evans and the tripod used to mount
a camera was also used freely on him, but he did not retaliate, at
least initially.
When the three pro-Amaechi lawmakers,
saw that they were overpowered in the House, they fled the premises.
Meanwhile some thugs came into the chambers and were reportedly asking,
“Where is the speaker? Where is the speaker?” By then the speaker, as
well as Lloyd (who sustained some injuries) and the third pro-Amaechi
lawmaker Azubuike Njoku, had left the chambers.
Lloyd told journalists reportedly from a
sick bed that “Hon Evans Bipi came to me in full glare and rained
punches on me. As his leader, I didn’t respond. Then he reached for the
tripod and used it freely on me together with Hon. Chinda.”
Shortly afterwards, Kelechi Wogu brought
out a mace (not the usual House mace, said an eyewitness) and Evans
Bipi was made speaker pro tempore to superintend over the sitting.
Immediately the sitting began, Hon. Martins Amaehule moved a motion for
the impeachment of the speaker for ineptitude. It was carried by the
five members allegedly present.
Shortly afterwards, Hon. Michael Chinda
nominated Evans Bipi as speaker. His motion was carried by the five
present and they immediately addressed the press, with Bipi thanking
Rivers people for their solidarity and assuring them that henceforth
there will be robust representation by the assembly.
But that was not the end of the matter.
The three lawmakers had gone to regroup
and came back to the assembly together with other members of the
assembly loyal to the governor. The governor also came along with them.
At this time, the governor had called for protection from soldiers, even
though Hon. Chidi Lloyd had written through the clerk of the House to
the police commissioner for the intervention of the police. The police
headquarters is situated just opposite the state assembly complex in
Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
The commissioner of police, Mbu Joseph,
addressed the press this afternoon and confirmed that Hon. Lloyd had
indeed requested the intervention of the police, and wondered why people
were accusing the police of giving protection to the anti-Amaechi group
when it was Lloyd who called for the police.
Mbu however said that when his men
arrived, the assembly complex had been cordoned off by soldiers. He
said, “Then the governor called me and said he was coming to the
assembly and he complained that there was no police cover in the
complex. Then I told him ‘but you have filled everywhere with security
men from other places.’ Shortly after I heard a convoy approaching and
saw the governor entering the complex through my window. Later I was
told he was there while serious fighting was going on in the complex,
and later he came out.”
The serious fighting which the
commissioner spoke about, occurred when the governor arrived and there
was a free for all between legislators loyal to both the pro and the
anti Amaechi legislators as well as thugs in the complex. Assembly staff
were ordered to vacate. One of the workers who spoke with The Scoop
said, “We had to run for our lives. Thugs have taken over.”
Inside the complex, there was serious
fighting. Chidi Lloyd who was earlier the victim, turned to an
aggressor. He was caught on camera hitting Kelechi Wogu with the mace
and chasing him through the hallowed chambers. The complex was a mess as
computers, microphones and other items were vandalised by the
legislators, soldiers and thugs.
After the fight, the 27 lawmakers loyal
to the governor sat and the deputy governor, Tele Ikuru, of the state
came and presented an amendment to the state’s 2013 budget, after which
the House adjourned indefinitely. By this time, the governor had left
the assembly. The deputy governor claimed in a statement that as he left
the complex, thugs attacked and vandalised vehicles in his convoy. The
Scoop cannot verify this.
Meanwhile, Evans Bipi, who was elected
as speaker by his faction, has claimed that 15 members of the assembly
voted for the impeachment of the speaker. Now, by law, 11 members must
be present before a quorum can be formed for a sitting. Some
eyewitnesses told The Scoop that only 8 members were present, which
decreased to 5 after the first clash. However Bipi claimed that there
were 25 members present, out of which 15 voted for the impeachment of
the speaker.
Even if the claims of Bipi are accepted,
Section 92, subsection 2(c) of the constitution says that, “The speaker
or deputy speaker of the House of Assembly shall vacate his office if
he is removed from office by a resolution of House of Assembly by votes
of not less than two-third majority of members of the House.”
Since the Rivers assembly comprises of
32 members, it means that the impeachment of Otelemaba Dan Amachree as
speaker could have only been possible with the support of 22 members,
which is two-third. Bipi claimed that he got 15, which falls short of 22
by 7 members.
Meanwhile the Rivers state executive of
the PDP led by Obuah has congratulated Evans Bipi over his emergence as
speaker; while a faction led by the ousted chairman, G. U Ake has
debunked news that Bipi is the new speaker, insisting that Amachree
remains speaker.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of
this piece described Evans Bipi as a brother of the first lady. It has
now been corrected. Bipi is a townsman but is not related to the first
lady.
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