Police have taken over the Rivers Assembly Quarters heightening tension in the state.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the police authorities has deployed about 30 armed policemen to protect the official quarters of members of the Rivers State House of Assembly on Aba Road, Port Harcourt.
The move was apparently in response to an allegation by the pro-Wike factional Speaker of the House Martins Amaewhule, that the complex had been penciled down for demolition by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
ALSO: Fubara Relocates Rivers Assembly Sitting To Government House
The deployment of the policemen to the quarters came on a day a Rivers State High Court barred the 27 lawmakers led by Amaewhule from further sitting as legislators for the state, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) branded some of the actions and utterances of the governor as an invitation to impeachment.
And following reports of the plenary sitting of the pro-Wike legislators yesterday, Governor Fubara took action, relocating the House of Assembly to the Auditorium, Admin Block of the Government House, Port Harcourt.
The state government made public Executive Order 001 of December 14, 2023, giving effect to the relocation.
The policemen were seen yesterday manning the estate’s two gates.
They had about 30 patrol vans which were parked in and around the gates.
But there was no restriction on people from going in or coming out of the estate.
The pro-Wike legislators raised the alarm about alleged planned demolition soon after a visit to the complex on Thursday by the governor.
Amaewhule said while other state governors were busy working on how to improve the well being of their people, Fubara was looking for structures to demolish.
But the governor said there was nothing to his visit to the complex.
“Is the Assembly quarters not part of my property? Is there anything wrong in going to check how things are going on there?” he shot back at reporters who had asked him about his mission.
He added: “You are aware of the developments. We have a new speaker, and I went there to see for myself how things are. There might be a few things I might want to do there for the good of our people.”
It was learnt that following the alarm raised by Amaewhule, the anti-Fubara lawmakers including some chieftains of the APC, kept vigil around the estate till daybreak.
Reacting to the deployment of the policemen to the complex yesterday, a pro-Fubara group – Sim Media Volunteers (SMV) – asked the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to monitor activities of his officers in the state and ensure they observed the rules of engagement.
The Convener of the group, Frank Kilsi, alleged the arrest and intimidation of the governor’s supporters by the police, saying the development could lead to anarchy.
“We call on the Inspector-General of Police to rein in his men and exercise restraint by stopping the unnecessary attack or wanton arrest on any of the governor’s supporters, as further harassment could lead to anarchy and breakdown of law and order that may not do our state any good,” Kilsi said in Port Harcourt yesterday.
He pleaded with stakeholders including political leaders, traditional institutions and law enforcement agencies, to ensure that the rights and freedom of the people are upheld and protected at all times.
He told those he called the sore losers of the inglorious October 30, 2023 impeachment plot against the governor to “stop their callous, mischievous and barefaced sabotage and evil against the governor and his government.”
Kilsi expressed support for the factional Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, and Leader, Sokari Goodboy, describing their emergence as a welcome development in the journey to liberate Rivers from bondage.
He said: “Indeed, true redemption has begun in Rivers State and we shall stand firm as youths of our dear state to support the new leadership of the House and the indefatigable governor of Rivers State.”
