Confusion as police ask Rivers lawmakers to sign undertakings

THE crisis in the Rivers state House of Assembly took a turn towards further confusion on Tuesday, as the state police command demanded legislators of the state to sign an undertaking before accessing the assembly complex.

This came as a member of the state assembly, Evans Bipi, the leader of the six opposition lawmakers in the legislature, charged the general public to disregard an order restraining him from parading himself as speaker of the assembly.

However, the 25 pro-Rotimi Amaechi lawmakers may not be obeying the police order to commit to its terms before they could be allowed into the assembly complex as their leader, Deputy Speaker, Leyii Kwanee, said their decision to commit or not would be studied by their counsels.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu, through a letter signed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police John Amadi, and addressed to the Assembly’s Clerk, had informed the lawmakers that the command had continued to block access into the complex because it was yet to get a copy of the judgement that reopened the complex to activities.

“You may wish to recall the court judgement of Wednesday, December 11th, 2013, in which the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, headed by Honourable Justice Ahmed Mohammed ruled that the Rivers State House of Assembly should resume sitting.

“This command is yet to receive a copy of the said court judgment. However the CP directs the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (E.O.D) Unit, Dog sniffing unit and the C41 Unit, to carry out thorough security inspection and sweeping of the entire premises of the RSHA, in preparation for resumption of legislative duties,” the directive further read.

“You are by this letter also requested to invite all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to kindly report to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, in charge of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where each member of the House will sign an undertaken, that they will conduct themselves in an orderly manner, when they resume sitting,” the police directive issued.”

But responding to the letter from the police, ordering them to sign an undertaking that they would maintain proper conduct during sessions, Deputy Speaker Kwanee said the majority in the Assembly would study the order and act as proper.

“We are taking a look at the letter. We also intend this morning to liaise with our lawyer for proper briefing.

“Suddenly the police that we did a letter to sometime last week with a view to visiting the Police Commissioner in order to give him an update as it relates with what has been going on the House has written that we sign an undertaking,” Kwanee said.

In a similar development, a member of the House of Assembly, Evans Bipi, who was ordered by an Ahoada High Court to refrain from parading himself as Speaker of the House of Assembly has described the order as void, calling on the public to disregard it.

Bipi who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune in Port Harcourt on Tuesday said the judgement was political and given to serve the purposes of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, adding that he was yet to be served.

“I want the public to disregard that kangaroo judgement, you cannot leave Port Harcourt and go into the bush to get an order, Ahoada is a bush so we will not consider it. It means they recognise me as Speaker because if they don’t why drag me to court.

“Up till now I have not been served, I have not seen any order so it is void. That court has been cornerlised by Governor Amaechi so I call on the public to disregard that judgement as political”, Bipi said.
PUNCH