urges immediate redeployment of CP Mbu .
The Senate yesterday backed the action of the House of Representatives
by taking over the functions and duties of the crisis-ridden Rivers State House
of Assembly.
The action of the Senate is in line with the provisions of
Section 11 (4) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended.
The Senate also urged the Inspector-General of Police, Mr.
Mohammed Abubakar, to transfer the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr.
Joseph Mbu, out of the state since his relationship with Governor Rotimi
Amaechi had broken down irretrievably.
In addition, the three senators from Rivers State were tasked to
use their positions to promote peace and prevent an escalation of the crisis in
the state.
These were the resolutions reached by the upper chamber of the
National Assembly following the debate and adoption of the report of its committee
on states and local government administration which undertook a fact-finding
tour of the state last week.
The three resolutions were compressed from 17 recommendations by
the investigation committee, chaired by Senator Kabiru Gaya. The decision of the
Senate on the Rivers State crisis was arrived at yesterday after a three-hour
closed door session by the lawmakers.
In his remarks at the session, the Senate President, David Mark,
explained that the action of the Senate was predicated on the first hand
information it obtained through the fact-finding committee.
He appealed to all the stakeholders in the state to work
together to ensure that peace returns to the state.
Mark said: “We spent several hours this morning discussing in
great detail the situation in Rivers State. We devoted so many hours because we
believe it is important that we look at it from the prism of our own committee
that went there to find out exactly what happened. And we are happy we sent our
own team to investigate and report back to us.
“Our final objective, and throughout our discussion, was to
ensure that peace returns to Rivers State. That was the focus of the discussion
this morning. Our appeal to all the principal actors involved is that unless
there is peace in Rivers State they cannot ensure development in state. We want
development across the length and breadth of this country. Therefore, we use
the opportunity once more before we go to prayers to appeal that all those
involved sheathe their swords so that peace can reign in Rivers State.
“The committee has not indicted any particular group of people.
It has not indicted any section and I don’t think it has indicted any
individual. The reason is because we want to ensure that there is peace. The
Senate as a body wants to be an integral part of the solution to the problem in
Rivers State. We remain neutral. We’ve not taken sides with any group and we
are not going to take sides but we will stand on facts.
“When we eventually approve our prayers, those prayers will be
based on the facts that are known to us and our neutral position. And we hope
that all the parties involved would appreciate that what we want to ensure is
peace in Rivers State.
“All we want is that peace to returns to Rivers State. Let me
add that the National Assembly will uphold and defend the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria as we all individually swore to do. And this we
will do at all times and at all cost. Let me leave no one in doubt that the
impunities of the past remain in the past. And the past is gone for good. All
that is left is for the proper lessons to be learnt from the past.
“Minority members of the Rivers State House of Assembly cannot
remove, and should therefore, never contemplate the impeachment of the Speaker
of the State House of Assembly or anyone else for that matter and should perish
the thought if they ever harboured it.
“Our institutions of state must also uphold the constitution at
all times and must not in any way encourage the impression that impunities of
the past are possible today. This National Assembly, for the avoidance of
doubt, would resist impunity and unconstitutionality.
This is the stand of the Senate. And once more, I must emphasise
that we remain neutral and we want to see an end to the crisis in Rivers State.”
National mirror
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