I have listened, watched and followed up the events that led to the crisis rocking the Rivers State House of Assembly and come to a partial conclusion that it is partly the PDP crisis in the state and perhaps that of individual conscience that is in force.
Individual or personal conscience in the sense that, the much that Rivers Assembly had done on people could have come to a halt where and when sincere members amongst them may have said “enough is enough”.
You know, the state Assembly is saddle with the responsibility of promulgation of laws which they are doing to the best of their interest by regulating the local government council as they deem necessary.
Several chairmen of councils have gone through the instrumentality of the Sate Assembly without following the due process of the law which they made. Little wonder they were tagged, rubber stamp by many.
Laws and situations are been taking into hands as actions not in conformity with these laws were exercised at the clap of the finger of whosoever is controlling them.
The provisions in the 1999 constitution as amended empowers the States Houses of Assembly to regulate the local councils hence the wings that become so sacrosanct that no one could have tempered with. That is indeed luck, to who ever in the brick house who is able to control the Assembly.
Such conscious and sincere minded lawmakers have since noted with dismay the injustices done by the Assembly but probably without support to make their stance known. Some of them were first timers in the house whose knowledge to their laws remain fresh and active and never wanted to comprise further.
When these mindsets came together, then the drama we are watching because secrets formally concealed are now revealed.
Lawmakers in the likes of Hon. Victor Ihunwo to mention but just that was opposed to working against the laws they made. He has always wanted their affairs to follow due processes because according to him, if they are on the right lane, then, they shall always gain the support of majority of members and the citizenry.
This lawmaker and his like counterparts had jettisoned the hurried manner in which the Assembly does certain things, for example, the removal of then Okrika, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni and Andoni chairmen during Amaechi’s first tenure between 2007 and 2011.
The law does not empower the state Assembly to suspend a chairman without chances of fair hearing or before the constitution of a judicial panel of enquiry.
But the reverse is the case in Rivers Assembly, where they are always hasty to remove any chairman they perceived not to be in line with their boss, the governor in any respect.
Rivers Assembly would always pronounced suspension to any chairman without an exhaustive trial, and before setting up any judicial panel if at all they do.
It is on record that this same Assembly had dissolved the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government council after due legal battle which nullified Assembly stance and manner of rascality against the same law they promulgated.
Andoni chairman who in the spirit of obeying the party, refused going to court to challenged the Assembly, was booted out without any recourse and consideration of same law he was looking up to it was this same Assembly, which council will I mention, was it Okrika, or which one that does not went through same insincere treatment by the Rivers Assembly.
In all these, there were members who are still there till date, who viewed these acts against the laws as a misnoma but tends to swim in the dark waters with them in order to fill their pockets rather than the interest of the people.
But the likes of Victor Ihunwo (Port Harcourt III), Michael Okechukwu Chinda (Obio/Akpor II), Kelechi Godspower Nwogu (Omuma) Martins Amaewhule (Obio/Akpor I) and Evans Bapakaye Bipi (Ogu/Bolo) irrespective of any form of insentive they may loose are standing out to challenge the ill practices.
It is also on record that before Evans Bipi of Ogu/Bolo joined the Assembly in this second tenure of Gov. Amaechi in 2011 to inject the new spirit of “Doing right what is right” or let me call it “spirit of sincerity,” Victor Ihunwo aka vorcho and few others have been opposed to the ill practices in the Assembly.
That was the personal or individual conscience I have been referring to. A situation where one’s conscience is alive no matter the circumstances.
Let me also state here that many of the lawmakers are aware of the evil they are perpetrating against the People in the guise of doing their legislative duties but because of their selfish gains would not want to stand out, hence branding the bold ones “ANTI-AMAECHI”. I will take time to explain this in subsequent paragraphs below.
I also consider it as part of the PDP crisis in the state since all members in the house are from one big family-the PDP.
What are the problems in this PDP if every one would want to know or seek to state the truth for corrective measure if at all, or does PDP actually has any problem?
In the sir, Dr. Peter Odili days as governor of our great state, the popular Odili yei-yei-yei music was quick reminder that though not all but majority of stakeholders, party supporters and electorates enjoyed and felt the government presence.
Listen, most citizens either in PDP or not in the Odili era felt belonging to the state as various empowerment schemes were reeled out to people in various forms.
Can anyone recalled why Dr. Odili was nicknamed Mr. Donatus? Or why in some popular events when the slogan P-D-P is echoed the response would be “Share the money” other than “Power to the people”. Let me quickly assume that the “power to the people was the money to the people”.
In Rivers State today, majority of the people now applauds Dr. Peter Odili. Even those who never knew that allocation during Odili’s eight years is just that of Amaechi’s four years.
This was because, no matter how little it was, majority benefited from Odili, even as he had embarked on several projects across the state. If there are projects not done or executed, the people should make proper enquires, I believe when proper inquires are made, that young man, Dr. Odili may be exonerated of many blames. Let me pause here.
In the Dr. Odili’s regime, I believe that even in music it was an all encompassing PDP affair not a segment or pocket of followers.
Today, in the ruling PDP in Rivers State, there is the believers and unbelievers, you may even call them pagans, you are free because they are treated as such.
This development, with respect to whoever is concerned since October 2007 has been diverstating, tearing the Rivers PDP apart as some are treated like nonentities while some like first born of Gov. Amaechi.
Supporters at the grassroots are the most affected, it is such a bad scenario that all are not in the same PDP, it is such that some are the “Osu’s – the halfcast, what belongs to the gods and human not God. What a mistaken situation we found ourselves in the society for all.
When the major party stakeholders and elders are crying wolf, then what could the ordinary members do?
My Governor on assumption of office in 2007 came up with a policy he is not able to keep to date, when he said, “Rivers money for Rivers people”, a development that was mostly welcomed by those who thought they could benefit from it.
Then, projects awarded were partially monitored and there was hope for completion though poorly executed.
I termed it partially monitored because some of the major projects had some technical problems, such as the Eliozu flyover, the Unity road and its bridges and other roads within the state capital.
Let me pause and return back. It is on record that these projects were awarded to those considered to be Gov. Amaechi’s loyalists with those not in his good book abandoned to their fate.
The governor had in several fora complained that, certain stakeholders wanted him to share monies with them which according to him, it is impossible, we applauded and supported him even though we are also affected.
The fact to me in this respect was not to share the state monies, but to gain some contracts from the present administration which was not feasible.
Again, it is also on record that the minister of state for Education Barr. Nyesom Wike in his days as Chief of Staff Government House was also a contributor to the governor’s travail occasioned on his refusal to carry all stakeholders along.
The Genesis of the PDP crisis in Rivers State I suppose emanated from the fact that the governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi had since assumption of office neglected some stakeholders in the party and off-course including my humble self, but I am not volatile, you know.
Rivers monies for Rivers people policy has been thrown to the bottomless pit not even the dust bin as non-indigenes have taken over the state affairs.
Prior to these problems the governor had stated that it was God and probably through the court that brought him to office and not Rivers people.
Rivers monies are no longer for Rivers people, could this be the only reason why issues in Rivers state are swiftly reacted to by the likes of Prof. Wole Soyinka, Atiku Abubakar and others who could not manage their own state affairs.
Where was Atiku Abubakar when Boko Haram took over Adamawa State? Was it not Atiku who engaged President Obasanjo in many battles aimed at succeeding Obasanjo by all means? Could it be attributed that Atiku is one of those fueling the crisis in Rivers State? Time will tell.
How does Rivers State PDP crisis concern ACN for God’s sake that Lai Mohammed rather than condemning the crisis and sue for peace in Rivers resorted to calling for the impeachment of Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan over Rivers crisis.
Does it mean that Amaechi has a hand in ACN, whose problems are even more than that of PDP? Time will tell.
The factions in PDP, the believers and non-believers has to the best of my knowledge and most people out there had caused splinter groups in the party as those categorized unbelievers are not only overlooked, maltreated but denied certain benefits in the party both at the state, local government and wards in Rivers State.
Permit me to state without fear or favour, that the so called believers group have disappointed their leader, Gov. Amaechi even in the wake of these crisis in the state.
If the governor could take statistics of events in the various local governments, he would have noticed that those who paraded themselves as the “I believe” group have nothing to offer him since after the 2011 general elections in the state not even to mention the wake of these open crisis. It is those disdained, rejected, abandoned, denied and frustrated that are solidly, boldly and courageously standing by the governor till date.
If the governor is in doubt, I challenge him to conduct special investigation, not using those he trusted because they may not turn in the needed and correct result across the local government areas.
I am speaking as a citizen with experience and knowledge of the political situation in some local governments and probably the state at large.
This, now leads me to my observation on what happened in the hallowed chambers on Tuesday July 9th, 2013.
But let me ponder and ask Mr. Governor how sure is his faith, believe, trust and total dependency on the loyalty of the said 27 lawmakers purportedly behind him.
If actually, Gov. Amaechi claims to have won the chairmanship of the purported dead NGF could he not have gotten enough lessons on what transpired during the NGF election?
Let us reason, before the NGF election neither truth nor false, I am not a governor for now, but it was said that majority of governors have signed a memo for a change of leadership of the unconstitutional group, but later the same governors who signed the memo looked back, perhaps because of the money bags that exchanged hands, worked against their supposed stance and for voted for Amaechi.
Suffice this to be the truth, would Gov. Amaechi still depend on his so called 27 lawmakers when only him knows that he has stepped on many toes even the lawmakers?
Truth is bitter, but I must say that the lawmakers in the Assembly that fateful Tuesday were more than eight (8) as claimed by Hon. Victor Amadi on Radio.
The former speaker, Rt. Hon. Dan Otelemaba Amachree confessed that they actually sat and had deliberations after an initial chaos. “… But we quickly arrested the situation and started our deliberations.
“It is not compulsory that every member must be present at our sitting everyday. Some obtained permission like the former speaker, Rt. Hon. Tonye Harry, who is in Paris, France for a conference.
Three others did not attend today’s sitting, but they are also on permission. There was a kind of chaos before we sat today”. This was what the former speaker, Rt. Hon. Dan Amachree said as culed from the Nation vol. 8, No. 2542 of Wednesday July 10, 2013 page 60.
Rt. Hon. Dan Otelemaba Amachree did also said that 3 lawmakers were not present at the sitting but in his statement to the press (same Nation) he posited they were about 23 and 27, my worries was how come that Rt. Hon. Tonye Harry who was in Paris, France flew in less than four hours after the incident to have sat with them in Government House?
I implore Rivers people and those with right frame of mind to read pages 1, 2 and 60 particularly of the Nation Newspaper Vol. 8 No. 22542 of Wednesday, July 10, 2013 to ascertain certain truth in the event of Tuesday, July 9th 2013 at the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Permit me to air my view that, the words of my late hero and pioneer president of Nigeria Chief Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe of the blessed memory.
“Anyi-digi notuism” meaning “We are not together or in one voice”, was played out in Rivers Assembly amongst the so called 27 lawmakers.
The statements of Rt. Hon. Dan Otelemaba Amachree as quoted in “The Nation” of Wednesday July 10, 2013 is an eloquent testimony that the Assembly actually sat and those purportedly believed to have been supporting the governor (27 lawmakers) may have voted against Dan Amachree and in favour of the Evans led group.
We do not need a soothsayer to design for us on what happened that day.
The notion of how can 5 lawmakers impeached the speaker with 27 supporters does not come to play here because anything can happen at any time, think of the NGF election if it is anything to go by.
I also reasoned that Rt. Hon. Amachree claims they were 23 and 27 but Hon. Evans Bipi claims they were 25 at the sitting and 16 lawmakers voted in favour for the impeachment and his election as the new speaker while Amachree claimed there was no issue at all about the impeachment but there was chaos in the house, what led to the chaos, he could not explained.
At this point, it is left for impartial judges to determine what our fate is because such news is unhealthy to our state.
For me, whatever that would foster development to our state is my watchword.
Rt. Hon. Tonye Ezekiel Harry was deceived and slide out of office, Rivers Assembly still exists, the deputy speaker and other officers in 2007 were impeached in Rivers Assembly, yet the Assembly remains, so no one would be out now that the Assembly could not exists.
It has occurred in the Federal House of representative where not less than 3 speakers were impeached in a session, yet it is existing, even with fierce battle in the same house.
Such, though a misnoma is prevalent in legislative houses, impeachment remains impeachment, whatsoever.
Governor Amaechi should sit down and ask himself some questions and probably give in to peace because all the lawmakers are not in his favour as they claim.
No matter the amount of monies that maybe given to whosoever, if the so called I believe group in certain quarters are not in tandem with the governor now, what does he think of the lawmakers, chairmen, commissioners and what have you. I am only an analyst, this is not the time to witch hunt anyone but to speak the bitter truth for possible lessons.
And if today is like this, what about tomorrow. I am believing that the physical 5 are mightier than 5 in action, remember 5 gulf another 11 to become 16. An indication that Mr. governor have lost out. Also remember that Hon. Evans Bipi had announced the suspension of 15 lawmakers and its a lesson to go by that not all even majority are for the governor.
By a simple mathematics, it is glaring that the Hon. Evans led group is going by 17 as 15 are on suspension, that means Hon. Evans led group had gotten 12 lawmakers from the purported 27.
Most importantly, the law must take its course, even if it is 5, they are capable to impeach the speaker.
Someday, this truth might come to limelight if you jettison this calculation today. There is a rule, law and order in that house.
To me, therefore, since the said 5 are mightier by whatever means, call it presidential backing or not, it is politics and no one should undermine the higher powers, it is a time not to make but to pursue peace to avoid anything.
Thank you dear readers. ###
