The Presidency has
advised security agencies to ensure that Rivers State Governor Rotimi
Amaechi was investigated and prosecuted after his tenure in office for
his alleged involvement in Tuesday’s mayhem in the state House of
Assembly.
The
advice was given just as the Action Congress of Nigeria urged the
Police Service Commission to address the causes of the fracas in the
House rather than the symptoms in its investigation of the role of
the police in the crisis.
The comments by the Presidency and the
ACN followed a July 9 petition by Amaechi to Jonathan on the free
for all that led to infliction of injuries on some lawmakers following
an attempt to impeach the Speaker of the House, Mr. Daniel Amachree by a
group led by Mr. Evans Bipi.
Amaechi had in the petition which
was also addressed to the PSC Chairman, Mike Okiro, requested the
immediate transfer of the Commissioner in charge of the state Police
Command, Joseph Mbu.
He also sent copies of the petition in
which he detailed Mbu’s alleged atrocities to Senate President David
Mark and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal.
But
the Presidency through the Special Adviser to the President on
Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, wondered why the governor’s priority
should be on the redeployment of the police commissioner at a time
when efforts were ongoing to fly an injured lawmaker, Michael Chinda,
abroad for treatment.
Gulak, in an interview, however gave an
assurance that the President would look at the merits and demerits of
Amaechi’s petition before taking a decision.
Insisting that
the governor should be held responsible for the fracas, the
Presidential aide reminded Amaechi that the immunity from prosecution
which he currently enjoys as a governor would end on expiration of his
tenure.
He therefore asked security agencies to investigate the fracas thoroughly and keep the file.
Gulak said, “It is true that as a sitting governor, he enjoys immunity but immunity cannot be forever.
“Security
agencies should investigate the matter (fracas) thoroughly and keep the
file because I still find it amazing and tragic for the governor to go
into the House of Assembly to play active role in the fracas. It amazes
me.
“But one thing is sure, the President will read through his
(Amaechi’s) petition. He will study it and look at its merits and
demerits. It is after that that the President will direct relevant
authorities appropriately on the matter.
“The governor had a game
plan from the beginning. He wants the commissioner of police
redeployed. He is not talking about a member of the House of Assembly
who is the Majority Leader and his (Amaechi) security details beat to a
coma.
“The lawmaker has been in a coma since that incident on
Tuesday and will be flown abroad for treatment. The governor is not
talking about that one, his major preoccupation is the redeployment of
the police commissioner.”
But the Rivers State Government and
the ACN, said Amaechi’s quick intervention prevented the free-for-all
in the House of Assembly from escalating.
The Chief of Staff,
Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt, Mr. Tony Okocha, argued
that Gulak should have called for an inquiry into how thugs gained
entrance into the House.
“It is most unreasonable to contemplate.
Rather conversely, Amaechi ought to be commended for his brave
intervention and rescue mission even at the risk of his life. Gulak
should be suggesting an inquiry into how armed thugs got into the
Assembly and at whose behest,” he said.
“He (Gulak) should be
able to absolve the Presidency from complicity knowing the relationship
between Bipi and the Presidency. Nigerians are better aware than he
thinks,” Okocha added.
The Police headquarters has however
summoned the orderly to Amaechi, who was captured in a video engaging in
a brawl with a lawmaker during the fracas in the House.
“It is
true that the police orderly who played a prominent role in the fracas
has been summoned by the IG. He was captured in the video engaging in a
fight with a lawmaker contrary to Force discipline and code of conduct
for officers,” a source close to Louis Edet headquarters of the force
said on Sunday.
Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar,
had set up a panel headed by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police
in-charge of Operations, Philemon Leha, to probe the impasse.
When
contacted on Sunday, the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank
Mba, said investigation into the crisis was ongoing and that the
force would not hesitate to invite anyone involved in the incident.
“You
are aware that the investigation panel set up by the IG has begun its
work; so anyone found to have participated in the fracas can be invited .
Everyone that played a role in the incident will be summoned,” he
said.
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