Mayhem in Rivers state: RSHA speaker, leader hospitalised

There was fracas on Tuesday at the Rivers State House of Assembly as members engaged in a free-for-all following attempts by 5 anti-Amaechi Lawmakers to impeach the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Dan Amachree.

Trouble erupted when the speaker was attacked by one of the anti-Amechi lawmakers, shortly after he walked into the chamber.

In a retaliation, some members of the pro-Amaechi group pounced on their opponents, leaving some of the lawmakers injured and currently hospitalized.

Some of the injured lawmakers are the Speaker, Dan Amachree, the Leader of the House, Chidi Lloyd and the Member representing Obio/Akpor Constituency II, Michael Chinda.

Meanwhile, a source alleged that Governor Amaechi stormed the assembly premises with a black-tinted coaster bus to assist his pro-lawmakers out of the Assembly.

“The governor’s presence created more tension as some thugs suspected to be ex-militants were calling for him to be gunned-down”, he revealed.

According to him, immediately after Amaechi left with the 27 lawmakers, the remaining 5 lawmakers quickly held an emergency session where they brought Hon. Evans Bipi as the new speaker of the RSHA.

It took the intervention of the Nigerian Army and the State Security Service to arrest the situation.

Reacting to the development, one of the anti-Amaechi legislators, Evans Bipi in an interview said himself and his colleagues at the assembly passed a vote-of-no-confidence on the Speaker, Dan Amachree which made way for his emergence as the new Speaker.

According to him, “I am Rt. Hon. Evans Bipi. We sat this morning and the house passed a vote of no confidence on the former Speaker, Otelemaba Dan Amachree and the leadership was as well suspended.

“We went into a fresh election and I emerged as the new speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”

When asked how many lawmakers were seated, Evans Bipi affirmed that 27 lawmakers sat and 16 voted for him.

He also accused Governor Amaechi of molesting a member of the Assembly.

“The Speaker was there, Chidi Lloyd was there, Victor, Ibiso, Kelechi Wogu. We were about 15 in number. They passed a vote of no confidence on the former speaker. 16 voted for me. I have the list here with me.

“If it was not an impeachment, why will a whole governor come and supervise the impeachment of the Speaker. The governor personally tore the shirt of my colleague, Hon. Kelechi Wogu. He cannot deny it. It is so embarrassing and degrading”, he alleged.

When asked if the supposed new leadership would attempt an impeachment of Governor Amaechi, Bipi noted that “I don’t know if it will lead to the impeachment of the governor of Rivers state. I don’t know. What we are fighting for is injustice and these anti-democratic activities in Rivers state. I will never lead an impeachment against him but if it warrants it, then he will go.”

Meanwhile, the 27 state lawmakers that were rescued by Amaechi reconvened later in the day to have a proper session where they deliberated on the 2013 Appropriation Bill.

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