The House of Representatives on Wednesday resolved that the National Assembly should take over the legislative functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The resolution followed what the lawmakers described as the “deteriorating” crisis in the assembly.
It also urged the Inspector-General of Police (I-G) to immediately redeploy the Commissioner of Police in Rivers, Mr Joseph Mbu, for allegedly neglecting his responsibility of providing security for people of the state.
The House based its resolution on Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates the National Assembly to take over legislative functions of a state assembly pending resolution of crisis.
The resolution followed a motion by Rep. Albert Sam-Tsokwa (PDP-Donga, Taraba) at plenary session, which was adopted when put to vote by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Emeka Ihedioha.
The motion was entitled: “Threat to Democracy and Inability of the Rivers State House of Assembly to Sit and Transact Legislative Business”.
Sam-Tsokwa, Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, drew attention to the invasion of the assembly by hoodlums and thugs and its inability to sit as threats to democracy.
He said it was widely reported that hoodlums and thugs, allegedly aided by five of the 32 members of the Rivers assembly, invaded it and allegedly beat up other members on July 9.
Sam-Tsokwa also alleged that one of the five members of the House seized a gun from a policeman and threatened other members of the legislature, including smashing the Speaker’s car.
He recalled that the state assembly had on previous occasions tried to hold its normal sittings and transact parliamentary business, but unable to do so because of the anarchy.
“The assembly could not sit due to the presence of hoodlums in its precincts and inability of the Nigeria Police to provide the legitimate authorities of the House with security.’’
He further alleged that the Police Command, which had pledged to provide security for sitting members of the House, watched the violence unleashed on members without any form of intervention.
He said a situation where the state commissioner of police was alleged to have taken sides and five of the 32 members allegedly procured thugs to disrupt sitting was improper.
The lawmaker said that five out of the 32 members purportedly attempted “unsuccessfully” to remove the Speaker and leadership of the state assembly.
He said: “If the situation prevailing in the House of Assembly of Rivers State is allowed to continue, it will lead to a serious threat to our democracy which Nigerians fought hard to earn,
“The National Assembly has a duty to invoke its authority under Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.”
He said that due to the crisis, the state may be unable to perform its constitutional functions.
Sam-Tsokwa urged his colleagues to support the motion by taking drastic steps to forestall further occurrence as well as to protect the country’s democracy.
However, Rep. Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Obio/Akpor, Rivers) raised a point of order to stop the consideration of the motion.
Chinda said the House had on July 9 mandated its Committees on Justice and Judiciary, and Police Affairs, to investigate the crisis and report back to it by Tuesday July 16.
He said that Sam-Tsokwa’s motion contravened Order 57(6) of the House rule because a decision had been taken on it.
The Deputy Speaker, however, ruled Chinda out of order on the premise that the rules of the House had been suspended.
Rep. Ken Chikere (PDP-Port Harcourt 1, Rivers) also spoke against the motion, saying that dialogue was the best option rather than invoking Section 11(4) of the Constitution.
Those who spoke in favour of the motion included Reps Bimbo Daramola (ACN-Ekiti), Udo Oluchi (PDP-Abia), Aminu Shagari (PDP-Sokoto), Femi Gbajabiamila (ACN-Lagos) and 14 others.
They criticised the role of the commissioner of police in the state and called for his immediate redeployment by the I-G.
