Rivers Crisis Timeline: Five months of a governor’s travails June 27 Messrs Amaechi and Jang sat close to each other at the meeting of the National Economic Council, NEC, held at the State House and presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo. Seats were arranged for the governors alphabetically hence their sitting close to each other. The sitting arrangement before now was that the NGF chair would sit directly opposite the vice president, who is the Chairman of NEC, the highest economic policy making body in Nigeria. But on that day, neither the Rivers governor nor his Plateau counterpart was recognised or introduced as the Chairman of NGF. July 2 The Rivers Governor asked the Inspector General of Police to redeploy Mr. Joseph Mbu, alleging that the police officer was not only attending meetings with his (Amaechi) political opponents but that the security situation in the state had worsened since he arrived the state. Mr. Amaechi threatened to stop funding the police. July 2 The Rivers governor survived an accident as a strange car driven by a man suddenly veered off its lane and rammed into his convoy. July 3 Mr. Amaechi instituted a suit in the Rivers State High Court restraining the Felix Obuah- led PDP executive in the state from probing him. The party had on April 19 announced its plan to investigate the governor and other elected officials. Godspower Aguma, the judge, asked the parties to the suit to maintain the status quo and adjourned it to July 30. July 3 Some leaders and elders of the PDP in Rivers State paid a solidarity visit to Mr. Jonathan over his face-off with Mr. Amaechi. Among those on the delegation was a former governor of the state, Peter Odili; Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike; acting National Deputy Chairman of PDP, Chibudom Nwuche; and the state PDP chapter chairman, Felix Obuah. Mr. Obuah told the president that the delegation was in the State House to pay their respect to the Jonathan administration for its transformation agenda as well as leadership role in the party. Ibim Semenitari, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information dismissed the leaders’ visit saying they were looking for patronage. July 9 Crisis erupted in the Rivers State House of Assembly as hoodlums and some of its members attacked the principal officers of the House. Five members of the House led by Evans Bipi, a former aide to Patience Jonathan, attempted to impeach the Speaker of the House, Otelemaba Amachree, leading to bloodshed. Mr. Amaechi rushed to the House allegedly to curtail the violence; and in the melee, one of his security details was injured and flown abroad for treatment. Mr. Bipi later declared himself the speaker of the assembly. July 9 Mr. Amaechi wrote the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, PSC, Mike Okiro, demanding again the redeployment of Joseph Mbu. Copies of the letter were sent to President Jonathan, Senate President David Mark, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal. July 10 Gunshots were heard around the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt. The police also fired teargas allegedly to disperse protesters near the government house, while the state government alleged that tear gas was actually fired into the government house. July 10 The House of Representatives voted to take over the functions of the Rivers House of Assembly following the protracted crisis in the legislature in accordance with Section 11 (4) of the 1999 Constitution (amended). The Senate, however, voted to dispatch its Committee on Local Government headed by a former governor of Kano State, on a fact- finding mission. July 11 The Senate panel held a closed-door meeting with Mr. Amaechi, though details of the discussion were not made public. July 11 The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, set up an investigation team headed by DIG Philemon Leha to investigate the crisis in the state legislature. July 12 Mr. Amaechi set up a nine-member Commission of Inquiry on the July 9 mayhem in the state legislature. The Commission, headed by Biobele Georgewill, was asked to submit its report by October 15. July 16 Four northern governors paid solidarity visit to Mr. Amaechi. The governors are Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger), who is also the Chairman of Northern States Governors Forum, NSGF. Protesters pelted their convoy during the visit. The four governors thereafter called for the establishment of state police in the country while demanding the removal of the State Police Commissioner, Joseph Mbu, over his role in the Rivers saga. July 17 Lagos Governor, Babatunde Fashola, withdrew the suit he filed against Mr.Jang.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 14:19:12 +0000
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